The Wasp — 1877 — page 283: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical cartoon depicts four female figures representing seasonal conditions in San Francisco, each labeled with weather characteristics: - **Spring** (top left): "Cold and Windy" with a picnic scene, suggesting deceptive pleasantness - **Summer** (top right): "Stormy and Dusty," depicted as chaotic and windswept - **Autumn** (bottom left): "Foggy," shown amid tropical palms, highlighting San Francisco's unusual autumn fog - **Winter** (bottom right): "Rainy and Windy," portrayed dramatically The satire mocks San Francisco's notoriously unpredictable and disappointing weather year-round. Rather than pleasant seasonal variation, each season is characterized by undesirable conditions, suggesting the city offers visitors or residents perpetual climatic disappointment. This reflects common 19th-century complaints about San Francisco's weather contradicting its reputation.