The Wasp — 1893 — page 251: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical comic strip mocks San Francisco's cost-cutting efforts to fund a trip to the Chicago World's Fair. The seven panels show various austerity measures: 1. A storekeeper waters down whiskey 2. A grocer adulterates sugar 3. Boarding houses reduce quality 4. Society members dine poorly with a dog under the table 5. A society hostess serves meager portions 6. A businessman (likely a society leader) does manual work 7. White labor is displaced in Chinatown The satire targets the city's upper class and merchants, suggesting their penny-pinching—including exploitation of working-class communities—reveals hypocrisy. By cutting corners on basic goods and labor practices, San Francisco's elite expose their true priorities: prestige through fair attendance over honest commerce and fair treatment.