The Wasp — 1894 — page 506: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page satirizes San Francisco's wealthy and notable figures through short gossipy items and caricatures. The main cartoon depicts "a man of wealth whose hobby is making speeches on any subject"—a wealthy blowhard surrounded by money bags and a bust labeled "Demosthenes" (the ancient Greek orator), mocking his pretensions to eloquence. The "Frisco Celebrities" section includes brief anecdotes ridiculing local figures: a tennis champion obsessed with shoe polish, Jerry Lynch (identified as an Egyptologist and stock speculator) credited with dubious financial advice, and various society women and telephone operators. "Wasp on the Wing" contains bite-sized social observations about San Francisco's upper class—their manners, habits, and affectations—typical of the magazine's gossipy satirical approach to local celebrity culture.