The Wasp — May 15, 1880 — page 15: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page is primarily **advertising**, not political satire. It contains product advertisements for items like milk can makers, stoves, starch, bitters, cylinder oil, and hats—typical late 19th-century commercial content. The only cartoon element is a small dialogue labeled "Moses," showing two well-dressed men in top hats discussing membership costs and medicine. The exchange appears to be **social satire about class and pretense**—one character mocks the expense of membership clubs while another defends them, and there's a joke about buying drugs from "Slaven's drug store" instead of doctors. This reflects period anxieties about commercialization and health remedies, but lacks clear political targets. The page demonstrates how satirical magazines like *The Wasp* funded operations through extensive advertising.