The Wasp — 1893 — page 117: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon's title references Calcutta (now Kolkata), likely invoking the city's reputation for poverty and colonial exploitation. The sketch shows a figure emerging from beneath ground level, with a speech bubble reading "What finds these months be" (possibly "What finds these months be"). The satire appears to target the struggles of London's lower classes or those living in squalid conditions. The "Calcutta" reference suggests a comparison between London's poorest neighborhoods and conditions in colonized India—implying that certain British urban areas had descended to colonial-level deprivation. The cartoon likely critiques urban poverty, working conditions, or housing crises affecting Victorian London's underclass, using the colonial reference to emphasize the severity of local inequality.