The Wasp — 1888 — page 265: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This political cartoon depicts a skeletal "Death" figure operating a theatrical stage trap door above a crowded room of working-class people below. The skeleton holds a gun and controls machinery designed to drop victims through the floor. The satire appears to criticize unsafe working conditions—specifically, industrial or theatrical hazards that endanger laborers. The "death trap" metaphor suggests employers or business owners knowingly maintain dangerous environments where workers face fatal risks from faulty equipment or negligence. The contrast between Death's gleeful control above and the oblivious or trapped crowd below emphasizes how workers are vulnerable to hidden dangers. Without additional context about *The Wasp's* publication date, the specific industry criticized remains unclear, though this likely addresses late 19th or early 20th-century labor safety concerns.