The Wasp — January 1880 — page 2: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis of The Wasp Cover (January 29) This is a New Year's greeting cover (Vol. 4, No. 179) featuring classical allegorical imagery typical of Victorian satirical art. The central figure appears to be Father Time or a similar personification of the old year, riding a horse while carrying what looks like an hourglass or temporal symbol. Cherubs or putti float above, one wearing a top hat—possibly representing the incoming new year or fortune. The satirical approach uses mythological/fantastical elements common to 19th-century American humor magazines. Without additional context about specific 1880s events, the precise political targets remain unclear, though The Wasp generally targeted local San Francisco politics and national figures through such allegorical New Year imagery.