The Wasp — 1877 — page 31: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page from *The Wasp* presents a satirical cartoon titled "The Late Emparkers of the Sutter St. Car Celebrating the Inauguration of the Wire Cable in New of House Power" (text runs along the left margin when the image is properly oriented). The cartoon depicts well-dressed gentlemen in top hats celebrating atop and around a cable car, with maps or diagrams visible on the right side. The satire appears to mock San Francisco's cable car system inauguration, likely targeting the wealthy businessmen involved in its development. The caricatured figures suggest these were recognizable local elites of the period. The celebratory, exaggerated poses mock their self-importance about this technological advancement. Without clearer identification of specific individuals, the precise targets remain unclear, but the satire aims at San Francisco's business establishment's pride in modern infrastructure.