Jacob+Riis



Born in Denmark in 1849, Jacob Riis worked as a Carpenter in Copenhagen for many years before he turned his love of photography into a profession. In 1877, Mr. Riis became a police reporter for the New York Tribune. Arguing that the poor were “ the victims rather than the makers of fate”, Riis used photography to advocate for over-worked employees. As one of the first photographers to use flash powder, Riis was able to capture images of the people living in slums at night. Riis’s photographs were first published in Scribner’s Magazine in 1888 as an account of city life. The following year, a full length version titled, “ How the Other Half Lives” was published. For many years, Riis continued to write and gave presentations about the problems associated with poor life.