The Wasp — 1879 — page 644: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This financial satire depicts the stock market turmoil of 1879-1880. The central figure—a skeletal, impoverished man on crutches wearing a top hat—personifies financial ruin. He's surrounded by speculators holding documents labeled with financial terms. The "Bears and Bulls" reference the two opposing market forces: "bears" bet on price declines; "bulls" bet on rises. Both groups appear to be victimizing the common man, who stands ragged and desperate before a grand building (likely a bank or stock exchange). The inset shows three spheres labeled "No Money loaned on Stock," indicating credit markets were frozen—banks refusing to lend against securities. This reflects the actual financial crisis affecting ordinary investors and the broader economy during this period.