The Wasp — 1881 — page 290: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This 1881 San Francisco satire depicts a figure identified as "Attorney Murphy" performing acrobatic feats on what appears to be the new City Hall building. The caption states he "Leaps all Barriers and Charges on the New City Hall." The cartoon suggests Murphy used legal maneuvering or political connections to bypass obstacles in relation to the city's new municipal building project. The acrobatic imagery implies he moved through bureaucratic or financial barriers with undue ease or impropriety. The text references "Day Labor on the New City Hall" and "Unions," suggesting the cartoon critiques how Murphy—likely a lawyer or political figure—may have circumvented labor regulations or union agreements regarding the building's construction, enriching himself while ordinary workers faced restrictions.