The Wasp — 1893 — page 252: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon from *The Wasp* (April 1, 1893) satirizes Judge Sullivan and his political cabinet. The caption identifies them as being "shipped for the political St. Helena"—a reference to Napoleon's exile island. The central figure, dressed as Napoleon with bicorn hat and military uniform, represents Sullivan as a would-be autocrat. He's depicted with the arm gesture of the famous French general, suggesting delusions of grandeur. The satire targets Sullivan's political ambitions and cabinet as overreaching or dictatorial. The "St. Helena" reference mocks their anticipated downfall, implying they'll be exiled like Napoleon. The crowd of figures in the background represents his political allies or associates also facing political defeat. The cartoon uses historical comparison to ridicule what *The Wasp* viewed as authoritarian Democratic political overreach in 1890s San Francisco.