The Wasp — 1878 — page 118: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is primarily an **advertising page** from *The Illustrated Wasp*, a San Francisco satirical magazine. The page contains no political cartoons—instead it features decorative commercial advertisements for local San Francisco businesses, including: - Shell oyster dealers - Book binders - A chiropodist (foot doctor) - Cigar and tobacco wholesalers - Wine and liquor merchants - An architect The advertisements use elaborate Victorian-era engraved illustrations with ornamental lettering typical of late 19th-century print design. One ad for Dr. Gibson's Dispensary discusses medical treatments, but this is straightforward promotional content rather than satire. The page demonstrates how satirical magazines sustained themselves through paid advertisements interspersed with editorial content.