The Wasp — 1889 — page 161: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This political cartoon from *The Wasp* depicts Chief Scannell warning an allegorical female figure (representing San Francisco or California) of an approaching danger. The woman in classical dress appears serene or unaware, while Scannell points urgently toward a threatening wasp-like or demonic figure descending from above—the title's metaphor. The caption reads: "Will you take warning of her approach and enable us to fight her?" This appears to be commentary on a threat or danger approaching San Francisco after affecting another location. Without additional context about the publication date and Chief Scannell's specific role, the exact nature of the threat remains unclear—it could reference disease, political upheaval, labor unrest, or another contemporary crisis the magazine's readers would have recognized.