The Wasp — 1887 — page 23: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page is **primarily advertising**, not satire or political commentary. It features business advertisements for San Francisco commercial enterprises from the late 1800s, including: - Insurance companies (fire, marine, life) - Shipping and commission merchants - Furniture retailers - Manufacturing firms - Coal dealers The only illustrated element with potential satirical intent is **"The White Sewing Machine"** ad, which depicts the machine anthropomorphically with crossed arms in a boastful pose, claiming to be "KING" of sewing machines. This appears to be **competitive commercial boasting** rather than political satire. The page demonstrates *The Wasp*'s reliance on paid advertising to fund publication, typical of 19th-century American magazines. No identifiable political figures or clear satirical commentary is evident here.