The Wasp — 1889 — page 357: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains primarily **advertisements and humor pieces** rather than political cartoons. The main illustrated content shows a caricatured figure (labeled "Old Louis Antoine Alphonse Le Martine") in what appears to be a kitchen or domestic setting—a visual pun on the person's name and profession. The text pieces include racist humor ("A Badly Watched Negro"), jokes about intoxication ("High License"), and domestic humor ("Home Missionary"). The advertisements promote patent medicines, business services, and local San Francisco establishments. The satire is mild and social rather than sharply political, targeting drunkenness, domestic dynamics, and advertising fraud—typical of late 19th-century American satirical magazines. The racist content reflects the deeply prejudiced standards of the era.