The Wasp — 1891 — page 187: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page is predominantly **advertising and business listings** for late 19th-century San Francisco, with minimal satirical content. The sole cartoon appears in the "SOMETHING NEW!" box—showing two figures in what appears to be a comedic dance pose. The accompanying text identifies it as promoting "The Only Temperance Dance Hall in the City," open nightly. The joke likely satirizes the temperance movement (anti-alcohol advocacy popular at the time) by depicting awkward, enthusiastic dancers—suggesting temperance advocates were humorless or physically ungainly compared to those enjoying alcohol. The page otherwise features advertisements for banks, mining machinery, beverages, and household products typical of San Francisco commerce in this era, with no clear political satire evident.