The Wasp — 1892 — page 102: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical cartoon from *The Wasp* critiques Dr. Cogswell's presentation of a Polytechnic School to San Francisco's youth. The allegorical female figure (representing San Francisco or education) holds a document reading "POLYTECHNIC SCHOOL PRESENTED TO THE BOYS AND GIRLS OF SAN FRANCISCO BY DR. COGSWELL." The surrounding construction debris—scattered tools, lumber, and incomplete scaffolding—suggests the school project is unfinished or poorly executed. The caption "Ropy, I think you had better go back to pulling teeth" implies Cogswell should return to dentistry rather than continue this educational venture. The satire mocks what appears to be a dubious or inadequate charitable/educational initiative, questioning both the quality of Cogswell's work and his qualifications for such a project.