The Wasp — 1879 — page 112: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a theatrical satire mocking European colonial attitudes toward African peoples. The play presents "Black Hottentots" and "White Hottentots" as parallel groups, suggesting absurdist commentary on racial hierarchies and colonial pretensions. The illustrations show exaggerated characters in ridiculous costumes and situations—soldiers with oversized weapons, figures in awkward poses. The satire appears to ridicule both the stereotypical depictions of African people in European entertainment AND the pretensions of European "civilization." The text references Hackmack (a merchant character) and Super Cargo (a ship official), suggesting critique of colonial commerce and the slave trade apparatus. The burlesque format—marked "not calculated for Acting"—indicates this was satirical commentary rather than intended performance, likely critiquing popular racist entertainment and colonial attitudes of 19th-century America.