The Wasp — 1893 — page 354: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon satirizes the unpredictability of financial speculation, likely during the 1893 economic panic. A horse labeled "OLD STYLE OUT OF DATE" bucks violently, throwing a caricatured "Lady Fortune" figure while scattering wealthy men below, some marked with "$20" coins. The satire suggests that traditional investment methods ("old style") are now obsolete and dangerous. The chaotic scene of financiers tumbling represents how quickly fortunes disappear in speculative markets. The caption notes that every twenty-dollar piece has "a string to it"—implying money is no longer reliable or controllable. This reflects contemporary anxiety about market instability and the failure of conventional wealth-building strategies during the Gilded Age's financial crisis.