The Wasp — 1877 — page 181: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical cartoon from *The Wasp* (dated April 12, 1877) mocks the telephone as a tool for profiteering during conflict. The title "Progress of the Nineteenth Century" suggests ironic commentary on modern "progress." The bottom panel shows two figures operating telephone equipment—likely representing speculators or war profiteers exploiting the new technology to conduct business during wartime. The upper scenes depict opera houses, parks, and London locations, suggesting how the wealthy and fashionable classes conducted trivial social activities while wars raged. The satire targets both the hype surrounding new technology and how privileged classes remained disconnected from warfare's consequences, using the telephone as a symbol of commerce prioritized over human suffering during the 1877 period.