The Wasp — 1880 — page 87: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical page contrasts imagination with harsh reality in Arizona. The top panels show fantasy scenarios: a man relaxing in luxury with champagne, and another purchasing tickets at an office. These represent the romanticized promises sold to prospective settlers. The bottom panels depict the actual conditions: a traveler approaching a makeshift "Hotel" (appears to be a crude structure), and a figure hunched in what looks like a mining or labor situation. The text "IMAGINATION AND REALITY" explicitly bridges these contrasts. The satire critiques fraudulent Arizona promotion—the gap between what was advertised to potential settlers (comfort, civilization, opportunity) versus what they actually encountered (poverty, hardship, inadequate accommodations). This reflects late 19th-century criticisms of Western frontier marketing schemes.