The Wasp — 1896 — page 690: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is not a satirical cartoon but rather a historical illustrated article by John Bonner documenting early San Francisco's development. The page contains three photographs showing the city's transformation: 1. **Where New Montgomery Street Cut Through** - shows pre-development buildings 2. **Palace Hotel Site Forty Years Ago** - depicts the vacant land before the famous hotel's construction 3. **The Palace Hotel** - the completed grand structure The accompanying text describes San Francisco's evolution from a modest settlement of Spanish descendants, temporary structures, and miners into a cultured society comparable to Eastern cities. The article nostalgically traces the city's social and architectural progress, with the Palace Hotel serving as the symbol of San Francisco's rise to sophistication and refinement.