The Wasp — 1877 — page 8: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# The Wasp, Vol. 1, No. 23 (1817) This is a title page for *The Wasp*, a San Francisco satirical publication located at 326 Clay Street and Battery Street. The ornate header features allegorical figures and creatures surrounding the magazine's title. Below are two cartoon panels with New Year's themes: **Left panel**: "Ready to go and make new years calls" — depicts a figure primping at a mirror, preparing for social visits, a common Victorian custom. **Right panel**: "Ready to go home again" — shows the same figure slumped exhausted beneath a street lamp, suggesting the fatigue of holiday social obligations. The satire mocks the tedious nature of New Year's calling rituals—the obligation to visit numerous homes for brief, formal social interactions was apparently viewed as exhausting rather than pleasurable.