Jacob Riis:

Transforming the Lives of the Other Half

By Bethany Mo Senior Individual Exhibit

Last year, my history teacher challenged us to understand how people lived in tenements by using the small classroom as an imaginary tenement room. Our entire class o twenty! ive managed to s"uee#e into a tiny corner in the classroom. I wondered how it was possible or immigrants to live in such small living spaces. $e learned about the muc%ra%ers in history class, but I never really understood what directly caused the transition & the turning point & rom the

'ilded (ges to the )rogressive era. ( ter some research, I discovered how *iis impacted an entire generation o muc%ra%ers and how he united photography with social re orm. My research began with exploring the Internet to gain basic %nowledge on +acob *iis. I read various biographies on *iis that each portrayed him in a di erent light. I used many o *iis,s boo%s, including How the Other Half Lives, which was one o the most crucial primary sources in my research. ( ter reading his boo%s and articles rom various library archives, I tried to loo% or boo%s that urther analy#ed *iis,s wor%. My most important secondary source was )eter Bacon -ales,s Silver Cities: Photographing American Urbanization. -ales analy#es the impact o *iis,s photography and gives the .bigger picture/ o how *iis,s revolutionary combination o investigative 0ournalism and photography was a turning point in history. I was able to contact -ales and interview him. -ales provided valuable in ormation on *iis,s photography and the larger social philosophies that in luenced the time period. I also obtained a video o an interview with 1aniel 2#itrom, co!author o Re iscovering !acob Riis. In addition to loo%ing at boo%s, online archives, and websites, I watched a couple o documentaries eaturing *iis. Each source gave a di erent perspective o *iis, which helped me ormulate my own thesis. Since *iis relied heavily on visual presentation, I wanted to present my pro0ect in the orm o an exhibit. +ust li%e *iis, I was able to use many photographs to help tell the story o +acob *iis. 3he colors o my exhibit are dominantly blac%, white, and tan. $hile I used blac% and white to correspond to the blac% and white photographs o *iis, I painted three o the panels with a rough tan color to match the wood that bac%s the exhibit. Since my pro0ect ocuses on *iis,s wor% to re orm tenements, I made my exhibit out o wood to ma%e the exhibit eel li%e a .house./

)rior to +acob *iis, there were many obstacles to re orm. Many re ormers wrote boo%s and accounts o the hardships o society. 4et, people were not impelled to do anything to change it. *iis,s novel, How the Other Half Lives" not only called or change and proposed solutions, but also provided photographic evidence that shoc%ed its readers. By uniting photography with social re orm, +acob *iis instilled moral responsibility into the conscience o the nation5 *iis,s ground!brea%ing combination o photography and investigative 0ournalism mar%ed a turning point in the new age o re orm through social documentary photography.

Bibliography Primary Sources Books:

Brace, 2harles Loring. #he $angero%s Classes of &ew 'or(" an #went) 'ears* +or( Among #hem. 6ew 4or%7 $yn%oop 8 -allenbec%, 9:;<. ,oogle Pla). $eb. <: +an. <=9>. In this account o slum missionary li e, 2harles Loring Brace, +acob *iis,s mentor, used drawings as illustrations. 3here were disadvantages in using drawings as graphic evidence5 although his writings and accounts were true, the drawings elt unreal and impersonal. 3his helped me understand why prior e orts or re orm ailed to instigate re orm. 1e?orest, *obert $., and Lawrence @eiller, eds. #he #enement Ho%se Problem" -ncl% ing the Report of the &ew 'or( State #enement Ho%se Commission of ./00. 6ew 4or%7 Macmillan, 9A=>. ,oogle Pla). $eb. 3his boo% covers the history o 3enement *e orm in 6ew 4or% and includes the report o the 6ew 4or% 3enement -ouse 2ommission, which led to the passing o the 3enement (ct o 9A=9. 3he boo% commended *iis or his e orts to tear down the Mulberry Bend slums. *iis, +acob (. #he 1attle with the Sl%m. 6ew 4or%7 Macmillan, 9A=<. )rint. #he 1attle with the Sl%m was *iis,s se"uel to his national bestseller, How the Other Half Lives. 3his boo% ocuses on the speci ic neighborhood and personal stories. *iis proposed solutions to the problems he pointed out and called or the creation o public par%s and playgrounds. 3his reveals that *iis believed in a proper environment or children in the slums. 3he argument also highlights the idea o .nature versus nurture/5 *iis believed that the slum environment contributed to the numerous cases o crime and gang activity in the slums. *iis, +acob (. #he Chil ren of the Poor. 6ew 4or%7 ScribnerBs Sons, 9A=:. )rint.

#he Chil ren of the Poor ocuses on the children o the slum. *iis had special concern or the children o the slum, and called or re orm or the sa%e o the children. By revealing the plight o the children, *iis was able to touch the conscious o the country. *iis, +acob (. How the Other Half Lives: St% ies Among the #enements of &ew 'or(. 6ew 4or%7 ScribnerBs Sons, 9A=C. )rint. $hen I read *iis,s most amous boo%, How the Other Half Lives" I was surprised by the way he portrayed di erent ethnic groups, including the 'ermans, +ews, Italian, and 2hinese. 3here were many stereotypes used to describe these immigrants, but it re lected such attitudes in the time period. (t the time, the boo% shoc%ed the middle and upper! class citi#ens with its accounts o the poor. 3he boo% pointed out the numerous problems o the tenements and included photographic evidence, which was crucial to the boo%,s success. *iis, +acob (. #he 2a(ing of an American. 6ew 4or%7 Macmillan, 9A<<. )rint. *iis,s autobiography reveals his personal experiences as a 1anish immigrant. -e had irsthand experience o what it was li%e to be homeless and unemployed. 3hese crucial experiences as an immigrant and as a police reporter in luenced *iis and his cause or helping the poor. By devoting himsel to re orm, he became a power ul orce in the )rogressive Era.

Documents:

D+acob *iis.D #he Coit L)ce%m 1%rea% E2levelandF 9A=A7 9!G. Re path Cha%ta%3%a Collection. Hniversity o Iowa Libraries. $eb. <= ?eb. <=9>. [Link].0spKidLJriisJ9M. ( ter the publication o How the Other Half Lives, *iis was overwhelmed by re"uests or lectures. 3his document is a lyer or one o his lectures, which portrays *iis as a credible lecturer and reveals his bac%ground as an investigative 0ournalist and police reporter. Eventually he used an agency to manage his schedule o spea%ing engagements. aga!ine "rticles: *iis, +acob. D-ow the Other -al Lives7 Studies (mong the 3enements.D Scribner*s 2agazine 1ec. 9::A7 CG>!C<. Hathi #r%st $igital Librar). $eb. 9 ?eb. <=9>. [Link]<=<;Jmdp.>A=9N=9N>A>=::M. *iis,s article investigates the tenement conditions and is coupled with line drawings o his photographs. 3his article was expanded into his amous boo%, How the Other Half Lives. *oosevelt, 3heodore. D*e orm through Social $or%7 Some ?orces 3hat 3ell or 1ecency in 6ew 4or% 2ity.D 2cCl%re*s 2agazine March 9A=97 GG:!NG. Hathi #%rst $igital Librar). $eb. 9 ?eb. <=9>. [Link]<=<;Jmdp.>A=9N=>=9G;N:GM. 2cCl%re4s 2agazine became notorious or its .muc%ra%ing/ articles. 3heodore *oosevelt, who became *iis,s close riend, praises *iis or his laudable wor%s or the poor in this article. *iis,s wor% with *oosevelt was a ma0or component which helped riis to practically re orm the slums.

Ste ens, Lincoln. D+acob (. *iis, *eporter, *e ormer, (merican 2iti#en.D 2cCl%re*s 2agazine (ug. 9A=>7 G9A!<N. Hathi #r%st $igital Librar). $eb. 9: ?eb. <=9>. [Link]<=<;Jmdp.>A=9N=9<9=GN:;M. Lincoln Ste ens became the managing editor or 2cCl%re4s 2agazine rom 9A=< to 9A=C. Ste ens, a prominent muc%ra%er in the )rogressive Era, was directly in luenced by *iis. 3his reveals how much o an impact *iis had on later muc%ra%ers in the time period. #e$s%a%er "rticles: D+acob (. *iis, *e ormer, 1ead.D &ew 'or( #imes 5.6789./::;7 99. May <; 9A9G. Pro<%est Historical &ewspapers: #he &ew 'or( #imes 5.67.9:00/;= Pro<%est Historical &ewspapers: #he &ew 'or( #imes 5.67.9:00/;. $eb. <> ?eb. <=9> . 3his article credits *iis or many o the re orms that too% place, including the opening o Mulberry Bend )ar%, the establishment o the +acob *iis 6eighborhood -ouse, the tearing down o slums, and closure o police lodging rooms. It emphasi#es how his battle or the .Other -al / dominated his li e. *iis, +acob. D?lashes rom the Slums.D &ew 'or( S%n 9< ?eb. 9:::7 9=. Chronicling America. 3he Library o 2ongress. $eb. <: +an. <=9>. [Link]:>=>=<;<J9:::!=<!9<Jed!9Jse"!9=JM. 3his article, illustrated with a set o crude wood engravings rom photographs, was the culmination o i teen years o experience as a night!beat police reporter. (ccording to historian )eter Bacon -ales, this was the irst suggestion that a ma0or new urban photography was in the place o being born. -owever, these wood engravings rom photographs were not as e ective as the photographs in *iis,s novels.

D$or% among the )oor.D &ew 'or( #imes 5.6789./::;7 :. (pr 9= 9:AN. Pro<%est Historical &ewspapers: #he &ew 'or( #imes 5.67.9:00/;= Pro<%est Historical &ewspapers: #he &ew 'or( #imes 5.67.9:00/;. $eb. 9: ?eb. <=9> . 3his article "uotes *iis saying, D3he reason charity has been discredited is because it has wor%ed with the bro%en ragments, the drun%en and the shi tless, helping as it could, mourning that such things must be, but never as%ing the reason why or %nowing anything o the honest, thri ty poor who live lives o heroism such as we cannot live.D *iis called or private charities to get involved, but also recogni#ed the importance o some degree o political involvement.

Secon&ary Sources Books: Bennett, Larry, +anet L. Smith, and )atricia (. $right. +here Are Poor People to Live>: #ransforming P%blic Ho%sing Comm%nities. (rmon%, 647 M.E. Sharpe, <==C. )rint. 3his boo% explained how the irst turning point mar%ing government involvement in housing or the poor came in the late 9:A=s when activists, such as +acob *iis, wor%ed to enact some o the irst tenement laws de ining health and sa ety minimum or slum buildings. *iis was instrumental to the passing o the 6ew 4or% 2ity 3enement -ouse (ct o 9A=9, which was the irst e ective law that changed tenement housing conditions. Brernner, *obert -. ?rom the $epths: #he $iscover) of Povert) in the Unite States. O6ew 4or%P7 6ew 4or% Hniv., 9AC;. )rint. In this boo%, historian *obert -. Bremner argues that the %ey was or the re ormers to rouse the public,s conscious and stir its good will. 3he irst step is to instill responsibility to remove unnecessary su ering. +acob *iis used such an argument in his battle with the slums. Bu%!Swienty, 3om. #he Other Half: #he Life of !acob Riis an the +orl of -mmigrant America. 3rans. (nnette Bu%!Swienty. 6ew 4or%7 $.$. 6orton 8, <==:. )rint. Bu%!Swienty,s biography o *iis introduces other re orms contributed by *iis. *iis exposed how 6ew 4or%ers were drin%ing contaminated water rom the 2roton *iver5 his article, .Some 3hings $e 1rin%,/ along with his photographs, brought outrage. 3he 2ity 2ouncil eventually purchased land along the river to ensure that waste was not dumped into the river. *iis was instrumental to such re orms.

'andal, Qeith. ( terword. #he @irt%es of the @icio%s: !acob Riis" Stephen Crane an the Spectacle of the Sl%m. 6ew 4or%7 Ox ord H), 9AA;. 6. pag. )rint. Qeith 'andal,s boo% analy#es *iis,s How the Other Half Lives. (ccording to 'andal, *iis manipulates his readers by using psychological details that challenged traditional moralist accounts, which led to a style o documentation that rames the solutions to urban problems. -ales, )eter B. Silver Cities: Photographing American Urbanization" .6A/9./A/. (lbu"uer"ue7 Hniversity o 6ew Mexico, <==N. )rint. )eter B. -ale,s boo% dedicates two chapters on *iis,s photography and its revolutionary impact in the history. -e analy#es the symbolic importance o *iis,s photographs and how *iis,s use o documentary photography proved to be a turning point in in luencing a new era o urban re ormers. -e also discusses how *iis used rhetoric and photography to his advantage and described the historical context and its societal morals. 3his was critical to my understanding o *iis and how he was signi icant. I was able to conduct an interview with )eter B. -ales. )ascal, +anet B. !acob Riis: Reporter an Reformer. 6ew 4or%7 Ox ord H), <==N. )rint. )ascal,s biography o *iis portrayed him as a crucial lin% between the poor and the upper!class citi#ens. It describes how *iis arrived in 6ew 4or% as an immigrant and his hardships inding a place in (merica. It describes his meeting with 3heodore *oosevelt as a crucial turning point in *iis,s li e. 'ilms:

America: #he Stor) of Us. 1ir. 6ic% 'reen. <=9=. 1@1. Histor).com. (8E 3elevision 6etwor%s. $eb. 9< 1ec. <=9>. [Link]!the!story!o ! usJvideosJ0acob!riisM. 3his video eatures +acob *iis,s use o lash powder and lantern slide lectures to wa%e the conscience o the country. *iis success ully orced the nation to reevaluate itsel and con ront the ugly reality o its slums. &ew 'or(: A $oc%mentar) ?ilm. 1ir. *ic Burns. )BS, 9AAA. 1@1. 3his documentary provides a segment on the problem o the tenements and +acob *iis. It pointed out how *iis was the irst to ta%e advantage o lash photography to ta%e pictures o the dar% rooms o tenements. (lthough 6ew 4or% was seen as a prosperous city, many immigrants who irst arrive live in poverty. -istorian Luc Sante explains the horrendous living conditions o the tenements and how it was prone to disease. (ntervie$s: 2#itrom, 1aniel. .+acob *iis./ 6.p. L0ubl0ana 2ity -all, L0ubl0ana, Slovenia. <= (pril <=99. 'uest Lecture. 1aniel 2#itrom visited Slovenia as a guest spea%er to tal% about +acob *iis in con0unction with the (merican 1ays photo exhibit eaturing +acob *iis which was on display at L0ubl0ana 2ity -all rom (pril to May o <=99. In this interview, 2#itrom points out that *iis was really the irst muc%ra%er and the irst to wa%e up the conscience o the nation. 3his urther helped me understand how *iis,s re orm e ort was a turning point in history. -ales, )eter Bacon. E!mail interview. << ?eb. <=9>

I was able to interview )eter Bacon -ales, previously a pro essor in the Hniversity o Illinois at 2hicago. Our interview ocused on how *iis,s photographs were used in various situations, how impact ul they were, and how the tenement dwellers eel towards *iis,s cause. -is photographs in his boo% provided photographic evidence5 the very idea o evidence coupled with persuasive writing was the %ey to bringing national attention to the slums. $e also discussed how the di erent versions o the idea o Social 1arwinism hindered and encouraged re orm. Ra&io Programs: D+acob *iis7 Shedding Light on 642Bs BOther -al .BD (ll 3hings 2onsidered. 6ational )ublic *adio. >= +une <==:. 6ational )ublic *adio. $eb. > ?eb. <=9<. [Link]!story.phpKstoryIdLA9A:9N:AM. 3his 9<!minute radio program on +acob *iis eatures interviews with authors who had written boo%s on +acob *iis. 3hey revealed how *iis was a contradictory igure. Still, *iis and his wor% mar%ed the beginning o a new era that believed that exposing the truth will lead to re orm. )ebsites: D1ocumenting D3he Other -al D7 3he Social *e orm )hotography o +acob *iis and Lewis -ine.D $oc%menting B#he Other HalfB: #he Social Reform Photograph) of !acob Riis an Lewis Hine. 6.p., n.d. $eb. 9; ?eb. <=9>. [Link]=[Link]. 3his website provided me with the important ideas about *iis and his time period, included the idea o .nature versus nurture./ It highlighted the re orms *iis brought orth

and led me to many use ul boo%s that explained *iis,s revolutionary way o calling or re orm with more details. D+acob *iis7 Biography.D Spartac%s C %cational. 6.p., n.d. $eb. 1ec. <=9<. [Link].u%JHS([Link]. 3his source provided basic in ormation or my topic. It discussed *iis,s role as a re ormer in his time period and his impact on other muc%ra%ers, such as Lincoln Ste ens, who tal%s about *iis extensively in his autobiography. D3he )hotographs and $ords o +acob *iis.D P1S. )BS, n.d. $eb. 9; ?eb. <=9>. [Link] eatureJs [Link]. 3his website revealed how *iis,s lantern!slide lectures, in luenced many important individuals, including $oodrow $ilson. (dditionally, this website provided me with many o *iis,s pictures. D*ediscovering +acob *iis7 )hotographer, +ournalist, Social *e ormer.D 2o%ntHol)o(e.e %. 6.p., n.d. $eb. =< ?eb. <=9>. [Link]%[Link] icesJcommJcs0J=<=A=[Link]. 3his website revealed to me how +acob *iis pro oundly impacted a whole generation o )rogressive re ormers, including ?rances )er%ins, who later served as secretary o labor and the nationBs irst woman cabinet member under the administration o ?ran%lin 1.