Tribute to Jacob Riis

Tribute to Jacob Riis

Photographer, Writer, Social Reformer

Jacob Riis an American immigrant was born in Denmark. After a series of jobs, Riis’s heart was capture by the life of New York City’s tenement housing. He became a photographer to use his camera as a tool to show imagery to grab people’s attention, a writer explain to open other eyes to these conditions immigrants were facing, and became a social activist of the harsh conditions people were living. All together in his one book called How the Other Half Lives.

Using photography on How the Other Half Lives shows how much a photograph can impact a people’s lives. Flash photography just being invented shortly beforehand helped him capture the scenes that he saw with his eyes indoor and outdoor at night. Adding his prints in articles forced the public to realize the way immigrants were living words alone couldn't do it. The images people’s eyes onto taking action. His photographs only basically started a reformation of public health laws if Jacob Riis’ articles would not have those photographs we would have these laws that protect our working conditions, health condition, and many more of what we have today.

Jacob as a writer the attention of his readers by explaining in depth the harsh conditions these immigrants were living. In his text, he used statistics of New York’s poverty. He wrote his book as if the reader was taking a tour of the notorious slums. In his book, he said “that every man’s experience ought to be worth something to the community from which he drew it, no matter what that experience may be.” After it was published, the book became an instant success. People started to take action.

Riis as a social reformer walked with Theodore Roosevelt through the slums of New York to soak up what can be done. Having Roosevelt’s help and his demands help improve the city officials and pass significant legislations all of the tenement housing.

All in all, as a photographer myself, I am inspired by Jacob Riis I want to take photographs that an impact on people’s lives. See what can be done and what we can to make a better world. With social media, we all have a bit of Jacob Riis. When there is a problem, the first action people like to do is take a video or photo to make an impact of what is going on in the world. The biggest inspiration I have is to continue to fight that Jacob Riis has started for it has not ended.  Jacob exposes those who are making our everyday items like clothing, food, etc. working hard and yet living in these horrendous living conditions. Although with our laws and such we don't see that as much today in our country thanks to Jacob Riis exposing. However I am inspired by him to photograph that these things are still happening not in our country but in other countries by our products. Such as Apple and clothing companies. These companies take their work to these 3rd world countries that has no working condition laws and work for many hours. They are facing what our American immigrants where facing 60 years ago. Again like Jacob I want to take photographs of "How the Other Half Lives" and impact Americans where our everyday products come from.