The Wasp — 1890 — page 492: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page is primarily a **bank advertisement**, not a political cartoon. It promotes the Peoples' Home Savings Bank located in San Francisco's Flood Building (corner of Market & Fourth Streets). The illustrations depict the bank's interior spaces—a ladies' reception room, safe deposit vault, and lobby—to reassure potential depositors about the institution's legitimacy and security. The imagery emphasizes comfortable, respectable facilities designed to appeal to middle-class savers. Key details advertised include: one million dollars guaranteed capital, deposits accepted from $1 upward with no entrance fees, competitive interest rates (5.52 percent for term deposits), and safe deposit boxes available for rent. The mention of "Flood Building" likely references the 1906 San Francisco earthquake recovery period.