The Wasp — 1879 — page 643: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This political cartoon satirizes financial speculation during the 1878-79 market period. The anthropomorphized "bulls" and "bears"—Wall Street speculators betting on rising and falling stock prices respectively—are depicted as actual animals in formal dress conducting business at the Merchants Exchange. The figures carry bags labeled with dollar amounts, suggesting they're transacting with serious money. The pawnbroker's sign reading "Money Loaned on Stocks" appears overhead, indicating easy credit fueling speculation. The cartoon critiques how these speculators behave recklessly and arrogantly ("overbearing"), treating the stock market as their personal playground while operating from the prestigious Merchants Exchange building. The satire suggests their excessive speculation is divorced from legitimate commerce and productive enterprise.