The Wasp — 1877 — page 40: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is the cover of *The San Francisco Illustrated Wasp*, Vol. 2, No. 55, dated August 18, 1877, priced at 10 cents. The main cartoon depicts a recumbent figure in formal dress (top hat, suit) lying down while dreaming or hallucinating. Above him swirls a chaotic scene labeled "The Dream of California Millionaire," showing wealthy figures, cherubs, money bags marked with dollar signs, and luxurious objects. The figure appears to be fantasizing about wealth and excess. At ground level, small mice scurry near the sleeping man, suggesting vermin or parasites. The satire likely mocks California's wealthy class—specifically millionaires—for their materialistic obsessions and inflated dreams of riches, while implying their actual circumstances (rats at their feet) undermine their pretensions. This reflects *The Wasp*'s typical role as social and political commentary on 1870s San Francisco society.