The Wasp — 1888 — page 30: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page features a portrait of **General John McComb**, identified as "Warden California State Penitentiary." The image is a straightforward engraved portrait rather than satirical cartoon, showing an older man with distinctive white hair and a long beard, dressed formally. The decorative header reading "THE WASP" features ornamental lettering with small figures, typical of the magazine's masthead design. Without additional text or captions explaining the context, the satire's specific point is unclear from the image alone. However, as a penitentiary warden featured in a satirical publication, McComb may have been a figure of public controversy or criticism regarding prison management or policies in 1888 California, though the exact nature of the critique cannot be determined from this page.