The Wasp — 1888 — page 108: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is primarily an advertising page from *The Wasp* (August 11, 1888), not a political cartoon. The masthead features elaborate decorative typography typical of the era. The page is dominated by commercial advertisements for San Francisco businesses: hat makers (M. Meussdorffer), photographers, dentists, shoe makers, whiskey dealers, and patent water closets. Notable is Wilson's Vaporizing Inhaler advertisement, which features a bearded man's portrait and claims to treat "catarrh, asthma, bronchitis, deafness, etc." This reflects 19th-century patent medicine marketing, often making dubious medical claims. The page contains no visible political satire or cartoon commentary—it's a straightforward advertising section showcasing local San Francisco merchants and products of the period.