The Wasp — 1894 — page 332: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page from *The Wasp* (a San Francisco satirical magazine) contains political humor and social commentary typical of late-19th-century American journalism. **"Wasp on the Wing"** features a photograph of F.C. Pierce, identified as "The Republican nominee for Superintendent of Streets, while making his daily constitutional." The accompanying text satirizes a new walking style becoming fashionable, comparing it mockingly to political campaigning in the Potrero district. **Lower sections** include brief comedic exchanges about local San Francisco figures—General W.H.L. Barnes, Colonel Frank S. Johnson, and others—poking fun at their mannerisms, social pretensions, and professional incompetence. The cartoons depict exaggerated characters in absurd situations, typical of the magazine's irreverent approach to local politics and society.