The Wasp — 1890 — page 236: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical page from The Wasp magazine contains multiple cartoons and commentary on 1880s California politics and social issues. The top cartoon mocks Clancy, apparently a political figure, in an unflattering scene. Below, a "Photographia" section contains political commentary on the Democratic nomination for Congress in the Third District, criticizing the "Hibernian coalition" (Irish-American political alliance) and noting tensions between English and Irish political forces. Other segments attack Dr. O.C. O'Donnell as an unqualified mayoral candidate, and criticize Deputy County Clerk Knauth's treatment of women voters denied registration. The bottom cartoon shows a waiter and guest discussing a bathing-suit found in a sandwich—likely satirizing San Francisco's chaotic urban conditions. The page generally reflects anti-Irish sentiment and concerns about corrupt political machines in Gilded Age California.