Jacob Riis and his accomplishments

 

Jacob Riis, born May 3rd, 1849

Riis' Work

 Jacob Riis was a pioneer in the use of photography as an agent of social reform. Working different jobs, he finally found his passion when he landed a job as a journalist for the New York Tribune. His first role was working as a police reporter in high-crime districts in New York City. Working here, he met Theodore

Roosevelt who was police commissioner at the time.

 Riis is most known for his 1890 photo series of How the other Half Lives, where the horrible living conditions of people living in NYC were exposed. He was able to physically, rather than just verbally, show the crammed tenements, overcrowded homes and crisis. Since Riis was an immigrant himself, he understood the struggles that the immigrants were facing - it was a majority of the European Immigrant community. He had once struggled the way these people were, so he was emotionally invested in exposing these tough issues.

    

Riis was a muckraker of his time because he showcased the struggles of these immigrants who were trying to make a better life for themselves, but were ignored by the public. Riis provided validity in the reports that have already been done, but was able to emphasize these with photos to use as proof. Photos were concrete and it was different than the simple word of mouth.

Riis stood out among most because he was able to use photos to showcase the message he was trying to get across. During the end of the 18th century and beginning of the 19th, flash cameras had just been introduced. The idea of flash was to make it possible for darker areas to be photographed with the help of the light. The flash was literally able to showcase the units of terrible living conditions. Riis was a photojournalist and without his works the slums of the Lower East Side of Manhattan would have never been exposed.

Riis was able to bring out emotion from his audience. People were shocked when the horrifying details were released and the photos emphasized people's humanity and bravery while living in these conditions. People grew more sensitive and adapted a more heartfelt behavior towards the poor. 

Read more here!

Photo entitled: Five Cents a Spot, 1889

This photo stuck with me the most because you can see how crammed the people are. They got up early, worked all day, and came home to an over-crowded space shared between strangers. Tenements paid 5 cents per night for a place to sleep. The lodgers in this boarding room look distressed and uncomfortable. This photo really depicts the horrible living conditions that are : unsanitary, unsafe and inhumane.