The Wasp — 1878 — page 458: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is the cover illustration for *The San Francisco Illustrated Wasp*, dated July 20, 1878. The cartoon satirizes San Francisco city hall officials as hypocritical and corrupt despite outward civility. The image shows well-dressed men in a city hall interior, presenting grotesque masks or caricatures—exaggerated faces suggesting hidden ugliness beneath respectable appearances. The caption "Politeness of the City Hall Officials" is clearly ironic: these officials maintain polished manners while concealing moral corruption or dishonesty. This reflects *The Wasp*'s role as a muckraking satirical publication, exposing San Francisco's Gilded Age municipal corruption through visual caricature and biting commentary.