The Wasp — 1879 — page 758: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical cartoon depicts a beach swimming scene titled "Themselves and Each Other," likely from the 1880s-1890s based on The Wasp's publication period. The image shows multiple caricatured male figures of varying body types swimming and wading in the ocean, with a steamship visible in the background. The satire appears to mock prominent San Francisco or California political/social figures of the era through exaggerated physical caricatures. Without identifying labels visible in the image, specific individuals cannot be definitively named. The humor relies on grotesque bodily depictions and the absurdist scenario of these figures together in an undignified, vulnerable state—a common satirical technique to diminish authority figures' dignity. The exact political targets remain unclear without additional context or identifying markers.