The Wasp — 1877 — page 320: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is the title page for *The Illustrated Wasp*, Vol. 1, No. 49, published July 7, 1877, in San Francisco by the Wasp Co. The price was 10 cents. The main illustration depicts three bearded men's portraits arranged within an ornate circular frame labeled "THE MEN OF THE" (text appears cut off). The men are identified as "PINNE[?]," "ARGENT," and what appears to be a third figure, though the third name is unclear from the image. Without additional context about 1877 San Francisco politics, I cannot definitively identify these specific figures or explain the satirical point. The ornamental frame and formal presentation suggest these were prominent public figures of the era, likely politicians or business leaders whom the magazine was commenting on, but the specific reference remains unclear.