The Wasp — 1890 — page 140: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon depicts a hotel proprietor confronted by an unexpected guest during extreme heat. The illustration shows the proprietor looking flustered while the visitor demands comfort—likely satirizing the tension between hospitality expectations and practical limitations during California's brutal summers. The accompanying text describes insufferable heat conditions and social friction. A guest complains about accommodations; the proprietor responds irritably. The satire appears aimed at the gap between a hotel's advertised comfort and actual conditions, as well as the awkwardness when guests make unreasonable demands. The title "A Poser" suggests the guest presents a difficult problem—someone whose expectations cannot realistically be met, exposing the hollowness of commercial hospitality rhetoric during truly adverse conditions.