The Wasp — 1893 — page 8: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Pan and the Nymphs" This satirical cartoon from *The Wasp* (January 7, 1893) mocks a famous painting. The caption explicitly states it's "dedicated as a New Year's card to Teed and his Koreshan followers, without the kind permission of the owners of the original $25,000 painting in the Hoffman House, New York." The cartoon references Cyrus Teed, founder of the Koreshan Unity religious movement, and his followers. By pairing nudes in a pastoral scene with Teed's name, the satire implies sexual impropriety or cult-like behavior. The "Koreshan Temple" labeled on the right reinforces this connection. The sign reading "Precita Creek Free Love Pool" suggests accusations of promiscuous practices associated with the group, a common 19th-century critique of utopian/religious communes.