The Wasp — 1890 — page 191: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical cartoon uses anthropomorphized figures in a financial market scene. The headline "Sugar low. Tar firm; feathers close; shoulders unsteady. Bacon (with liver), no demand" applies animal characteristics to commodities and financial conditions—a common satirical device mocking market volatility. The accompanying "Other Peoples' Money" article discusses the failure of Balloc & Co. bank and related labor disputes in San Francisco's iron foundries. The cartoon appears to criticize financial instability and economic turmoil affecting workers and industries during this period (likely early 1900s). The satire targets how speculation and banking failures harm ordinary people while the wealthy remain insulated—a populist critique common to *The Wasp*.