The Wasp — 1895 — page 691: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This illustration depicts "Strange Sights seen on the Beach near Bolinas Bay by the Startle[d]..." (text is cut off). The image shows a classical mermaid figure on the right observing various swimmers and a small sailing vessel in the water at what appears to be a California beach location. The satire likely plays on the Victorian fascination with mermaids as mythical creatures. The "strange sights" caption suggests humor in contrasting the legendary mermaid with ordinary beach activities—suggesting that a real mermaid observing mundane human swimming would find it strange, or vice versa. Without the complete caption, the specific satirical target remains unclear, though it appears to mock either credulous belief in mermaids or contemporary beach culture near San Francisco.