Jacob Riis was a Danish American social reformer, journalist and social documentary photographer. He is known for using his photographic and journalistic talents to help the impoverished in New York City; those impoverished New Yorkers were the subject of most of his prolific writings and photography. He endorsed the implementation of “model tenements” in New York with the help of humanitarian Lawrence Veiller. Additionally, as one of the most famous proponents of the newly practicable casual photography, he is considered one of the fathers of photography due to his very early adoption of flash in photography. His form of journalism and photography gave him the title of a “muckraker” by those who opposed his desire for social reform.

Jacob Riis is such an important figure in the history of New York City because he helped New York continue to grow into a middle-class city. The quote from Emma Lazarus‘s “The New Colossus,” “give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore” can be seen on the Statue of Liberty, but it was Riis that helped bring Lazarus’ desired meaning to life. These photos below showcase a New York that I hope none of us have to see again. The filth, disease, and squaller of a city not yet capable of handling the teeming masses streaming in on a daily basis is one that I hope I never have to look upon.

Above: Bandit’s Roost ; Below: A Downtown Morgue/Unlicensed Saloon (yup!)

A Growler Gang in Session

Baxter Street Alley, Rag-Picker’s Row

Bottle Alley, Mulberry Bend

A Boy’s Baseball Team

Children’s Playground in Poverty Cap, New York

Hell’s Kitchen and Sebastopol

Hester Street

Ludlow Street Sweater’s Shop

Men’s Lodging in the West 47th Street Station

Tenement House Yard