The Wasp — 1893 — page 210: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This political cartoon satirizes what appears to be a confrontation over an "American Paper Academy" (visible on the building sign). The image shows a wasp—the magazine's mascot—attacking figures positioned behind a barricade labeled "THE APPLE BARRICADE." The satirical point likely concerns institutional gatekeeping or exclusionary practices at an American academy. The wasp's aggressive posture suggests The Wasp magazine taking on establishment figures defending their privileged position. The "apple barricade" reference is unclear without additional context, though it may allude to educational institutions or specific academy policies The Wasp opposed. The cartoon employs physical exaggeration and insect symbolism typical of 19th-century American political satire to criticize institutional power structures.