Riis, << rees, >> Jacob August (1849-1914), was an American journalist, photographer, and social reformer. During the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, he helped improve living conditions in New York City slums by exposing them to the public through his writings and photographs. Photographs taken by Riis were among the first to appear in newspapers.
Riis was born on May 3, 1849, in Ribe, Denmark. He immigrated to the United States in 1870. In 1877, Riis became a reporter for the New York Tribune, and in 1890, he moved to the New York Evening Sun. As a reporter, Riis worked for improvements in education, housing, and law enforcement and for child labor laws and playground construction. In 1888, he helped bring about the elimination of a notorious New York City slum district called Mulberry Bend.
Besides writing for newspapers, Riis wrote 12 books. They include How the Other Half Lives (1890), The Children of the Poor (1892), and The Battle with the Slum (1902). An autobiographical work, The Making of an American (1901), tells the story of his immigration to the United States. Riis died on May 26, 1914.
