The Wasp — 1879 — page 652: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a title page/cover of *The Wasp*, a San Francisco satirical magazine priced at 10 cents. The publication's masthead indicates it was published every Saturday from an office at 626 Sacramento Street. The page features a portrait of a bearded gentleman identified as "Fr. Von Bodenstedt" (likely Friedrich Bodenstedt, a 19th-century German writer and diplomat). The image is presented in a formal oval frame, suggesting this is either a notable person being honored or—given *The Wasp's* satirical nature—potentially being mocked. Without additional contextual articles visible, the specific satirical point remains unclear. The portrait alone does not reveal the intended joke or criticism.