The Wasp — 1877 — page 350: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a title page from *The Wasp*, Vol. 2, No. 7½, dated December 29, 1877. The page features an engraved portrait of a bearded man in formal 19th-century attire, labeled "Governor Irwin of California." Rather than a satirical cartoon, this appears to be a straightforward portrait introduction—likely the featured subject of that week's issue. Without seeing the accompanying articles or additional cartoons, the specific satirical point cannot be determined. The *Wasp* was a San Francisco-based weekly satirical magazine (price 10 cents), published Saturdays from an office on California Street. The portrait's formal presentation suggests Governor Irwin was either being lauded or critiqued in that issue's contents, but the nature of the satire is unclear from the image alone.