The Wasp — 1890 — page 243: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical cartoon from *The Wasp* depicts five men in Victorian-era dress gathered around a street lamp, with documents scattered at their feet. The title "Supervisors Smelling Around" suggests these are city supervisors engaged in corrupt or underhanded dealings. The exaggerated facial features and caricatured poses typical of 19th-century political satire convey contempt for these officials. The scattered papers and their conspiratorial positioning implies they're investigating or scheming—"smelling around" for opportunities for graft or misconduct. The street lamp and street-level setting suggest public corruption happening openly in plain sight. Without specific identifying labels visible, the precise individuals and particular scandal referenced remain unclear, but the cartoon mocks San Francisco municipal corruption generally.