The Wasp — February 28, 1880 — page 4: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis of The Illustrated Wasp Page 499 The left cartoon depicts two well-dressed men in top hats labeled "Moss" and "Levy," apparently mocking Jewish businessmen through caricature and Yiddish-influenced dialect humor. The text presents them in a stereotypical financial scheme involving beer investment and dubious business practices—reflecting common 19th-century anti-Semitic tropes portraying Jewish merchants as untrustworthy operators. The right image shows a bovine figure (labeled "For sale—strong beer"), likely satirizing the same business dealings through animal caricature. The remainder of the page contains miscellaneous satirical definitions and commentary on local San Francisco politics and social issues, including references to civic institutions and ethnic stereotyping typical of period American humor. **Note:** This content reflects deeply prejudiced historical attitudes; its inclusion here is documentary only.