The Wasp — 1879 — page 212: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is the cover/title page of a satirical weekly magazine published in San Francisco, costing 10 cents. The main illustration depicts a large, snarling lion or beast emerging from a cave, with what appears to be a small figure (possibly labeled or representing a specific political figure) near its mouth. In the background, a domed building—likely California's State Capitol in Sacramento—is visible. The imagery suggests political satire about a threatening force or danger approaching state government. Without clearer labeling visible, the specific target is unclear, though the beast likely represents either a political threat, scandal, or controversial figure of 1879 California politics that contemporary readers would have recognized immediately.