The Wasp — 1877 — page 61: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a satirical portrait of **José María Iglesias**, labeled "The Claimant to the Presidential Chair of Mexico." The sketch was created by an artist at the Gailliard Hotel in San Francisco and published February 3, 1877. The cartoon depicts Iglesias with a wasp (the magazine's mascot) perched aggressively on his head, suggesting mockery of his political ambitions. The formal attire and dignified pose contrast ironically with the hostile insect, implying Iglesias's presidential claims were illegitimate or troublesome. This likely references Mexico's political instability in the 1870s, when competing factions contested leadership. The satire ridicules Iglesias as an unsuitable or farcical candidate for Mexico's highest office.