The Wasp — October 25, 1879 — page 11: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Wonders of the Fair Explained" This page is primarily **educational text**, not satire. The article explains tanning and leather-working processes at length—how animal hides are converted to wearable leather through soaking, treating with acids and alkali solutions, and drying techniques. The small illustrations show tanning vats and leather products. The text mentions "our wondering fair," suggesting this explanatory series accompanied the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, where visitors could observe industrial processes. The sidebar items are brief social notes and advertisements unrelated to the main article—mentions of a mining discovery, a lending library, and police activity. This is **technical journalism**, not political cartoon content.