Riis and Roosevelt
Before landing a job as a police reporter for the New York Tribune, Jacob Riis, an immigrant from Denmark, wandered the streets of Gotham City, homeless and suicidal, experiencing firsthand �how the other half lives� � a phrase he copyrighted, then later used as the title of his 1890 book that showed how nearly three-quarters of New York City�s residents were living: crammed into dilapidated, unsanitary tenement dwellings in the Lower East Side. The prose was searing, the photos powerful and undeniable. With photography still in its infancy, for many Americans this was their first glimpse into the lives of poor immigrants: dirty kids sleeping barefoot in the streets, alleys full of trash, families living under bridges. The book�s impact was instantaneous. Teddy Roosevelt, then police commissioner of the city, called Riis �the most useful citizen of New York.� Roosevelt abolished rear tenements devoid of air and light. Playgrounds were built, and fire hazards rooted out. City water was purified, and efforts to establish child labor laws began. |
