The Wasp — 1896 — page 862: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page is primarily a **directory of San Francisco hotels, restaurants, and advertisements** from what appears to be a late 19th-century issue of *The Wasp*. The central cartoon titled **"Star Spelled Backwards"** depicts a woman with an extremely large, wild hairstyle. The accompanying verse describes her vanity—she danced, laughed, and cavorted while the narrator's "heart was completely distorted / By love for that beautiful creature." The joke plays on superficial beauty and romantic obsession. Below this is another cartoon titled **"His Reason,"** showing two men in conversation, apparently discussing why someone poses as a "Brannhardt" (likely a reference to theatrical performer Sarah Bernhardt). The humor concerns affected pretension. The remaining content consists entirely of **hotel listings, restaurant advertisements, and commercial notices**—typical period magazine filler rather than editorial satire. This was standard *Wasp* formatting: mixing satirical cartoons with practical business directories.