Jacob Riis
By: Yasira Smith
Define (Who was Jacob Riis)
Jacob Riis was a Danish-American muckraker journalist, photographer, and social reformer. He is known for his dedication to using his photographic and journalistic talents to help the less fortunate in New York City
Details
- He helped with the implementation of "model tenements" in New York with the help of humanitarian Lawrence Veiller. As one of the first photographers to use flash, he is considered a pioneer in photography.
- He was employed as a photojournalist and one of the few photographers to start using flash powder to take photos.
- Jacob Riis brought attention to others using photographs and wrote about immigrants in his book, How the Other Half Lives. The book was published in 1890 about their struggles. His main reason for writing this was to make sure that everyone in the public could see how the immigrants were treated as poor people.
Bandit's Roost
This image is Bandit's Roost at 59½ Mulberry Street, considered the most crime-ridden, dangerous part of New York City.