The Wasp — 1890 — page 183: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical cartoon depicts three men in formal dress dancing with an anthropomorphized seal wearing a dress and bonnet. The seal holds what appears to be a wasp in its raised hand. The cartoon likely satirizes political maneuvering around the Alaska fur seal trade, a contentious issue in late 19th/early 20th-century American politics involving conservation, international disputes, and economic interests. The three men—caricatured with exaggerated facial features typical of period political cartoons—appear to represent politicians or diplomats "dancing" with (being manipulated by or exploiting) the seal resource. The seal's anthropomorphization suggests the resource is being treated as a pawn in political negotiations rather than a conservation concern. The specific identities of the three men remain unclear without additional historical context about the particular fur seal controversy being referenced.