The Wasp — 1877 — page 371: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

**Top Panel: "Costumes of Various Nations"** This depicts people in traditional ethnic dress arranged as a visual catalog. The center figures are labeled "Farmers of South Germany," while other figures represent different national costumes. This appears to be satirizing 19th-century ethnographic display practices—the casual grouping suggests how such "costume exhibits" were presented to American audiences, often with condescending or curiosity-driven framing typical of the era. **Bottom Panel: "Street Nuisances of San Francisco"** This section shows local street scenes labeled "The One Horse Cars," "The Ocean Grinder," "Selling Hand Bills," and what appears to be a coffin advertisement kiosk. These vignettes satirize everyday San Francisco urban annoyances and street commerce that bothered residents—street vendors, outdated transportation, and intrusive advertising cluttering public spaces.