The Wasp — 1895 — page 731: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page features two illustrations labeled "APPEARANCES ARE DECEPTIVE—SOMETIMES" (numbered 1 and 2), showing figures holding umbrellas in the rain. The accompanying text discusses "Chambliss," describing someone who published a book about the "local Four Hundred" (San Francisco's elite social circle) and fabricated details about himself. The satire targets Chambliss for misrepresenting his background and social status. The article mocks his claim to "attack" society while seeking admission to exclusive clubs, and details how he fabricated credentials—falsely claiming naval connections and military rank. The umbrella illustrations likely symbolize deception: outward respectability concealing true character beneath. The point: this social climber's constructed persona (appearance) contradicts reality, making him a cautionary figure of fraudulent pretension in San Francisco society.