+

Jacob A. Riis

Photojournalism Pioneer

+Born in Ribe, Denmark… 1849

He immigrated to New York in 1870, aged 21

Got a job as a police reporter, and saw a lot of social problems among the poor

Realized that photography was a more powerful agent of social change

The following slides are of some of his “flashlight” exposes of the living conditions of the very poor

+5-cents lodging

+What the boys learn on their playground

+The Bandit’s Roost

+Riis’ work helped eliminate the notorious Mulberry Bend Slum

+Which was turned into a park

+His Influence

One of the first photographers to have his work published in newspapers

He worked for the New York Tribune in 1877, and the New York Evening Sun in 1890

He also published his landmark book How the Other Half Lives, in 1890, which is an important social reform text

In 1901, he published his own autobiography called The Making of an American

He founded the Jacob A. Riis Neighborhood Settlement House in 1901 in Manhattan

+Quote

“Every man’s experience ought to be worth something to the community from which he drew it, no matter what that experience may be, so long as it was gleaned along the line of some decent, honest work.” Preface to How the Other Half

Lives.

+This photograph reflects his overall style… Dens of Death

+Works Cited

Emery, Michael. "Riis, Jacob August." World Book Student. World Book, 2010. Web. 10 Sept. 2010.

"History." Jacob A Riis Neighborhood Settlement House (2010): n. pag. Web. 13 Sep 2010. <http://www.riissettlement.org/index2.htm>.

"Jacob Riis." Masters of Photography (2010): n. pag. Web. 13 Sep 2010. <http://www.masters-of-photography.com/R/riis/riis.html>.

Riis, Jacob. How the Other Half Lives. Cambridge: Belknap Press, 1970. Print.