The Wasp — 1878 — page 112: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical page depicts Death (personified as a skeleton in a wide-brimmed hat) as the "Reaper in the South," driving a team of skeletal horses through a Southern landscape. The cartoon appears to critique violence or mortality in the post-Civil War South, likely referencing Reconstruction-era violence or the threat posed by groups like the Ku Klux Klan. The lower panels show contrasting scenes: one depicts "Raising the Freed Basket" (possibly referencing freed slaves), while another shows a "City Prison" with figures holding torches—suggesting mob violence or vigilantism. The overall message uses Death imagery to condemn Southern violence and lawlessness during this turbulent historical period, though specific contemporary figures referenced remain unclear from the visible text.