The Wasp — 1893 — page 412: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical page depicts various hazards facing wealthy individuals, subtitled "With a few timely hints on the best methods of baffling the omnipresent crank." The central figure is a grotesque, well-dressed man with a wasp-like appearance, surrounded by scenes showing threats to the wealthy: burglars at an office, explosives in the street, mechanical dangers at a mills building, and an elevator malfunction. Other vignettes show a "City Editor," "Chronicle Office," and "Folding Bed"—suggesting workplace and domestic perils. The satire suggests that wealth creates vulnerability to violence, theft, and industrial accidents. The "omnipresent crank" reference indicates fears of anarchists or disgruntled workers targeting the rich—likely reflecting late-19th-century anxieties about labor unrest and violent radicalism. The cartoon mocks both wealthy paranoia and the genuine dangers their wealth creates.