Rediscovering Jacob Riis

Book excerpt: Jacob Riis (1849-1914) was the author of How the Other Half Lives (1890). This study of his life and work includes excerpts from Riis s diary, chronicling romance, poverty, temptation, and, after many false starts, employment as a writer and reformer. In the second half, Yochelson describes how Riis used photography to shock and influence his readers. The authors describe Riis s intellectual education and discuss the influence of How the Other Half Lives on urban history. It shows that Riis argued for charity rather than social justice; but the fact that he understood what it was to be homeless did humanize Riis s work, and that work has continued to inspire reformers. Yochelson focuses on how Riis came to obtain his now famous images, how they were manipulated for publication, and their influence on the young field of photography."