The Wasp — 1876 — page 172: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This engraving depicts a maritime disaster in Arctic waters, showing multiple sailing ships trapped in pack ice. The caption reads "FROM SKETCHES BY ONE OF THE SAILORS," suggesting it documents an actual polar expedition. The image shows crews abandoning vessel for vessel across icebound terrain, with small boats ferrying personnel between ships. The artistic style and subject matter indicate this likely illustrates a 19th-century Arctic exploration tragedy—possibly Franklin's lost expedition or a similar polar disaster that captured public attention. *The Wasp's* publication of such dramatic maritime imagery served both documentary and sensational purposes for its readership, offering visual accounts of extreme adventures and human struggle against nature that dominated Victorian-era news and periodicals.