Jacob Riis

Jacob Riis (May 3rd, 1849- May 26th, 1914). Riis was born in Ribe, Denmark. He was a Danish-American journalist photographer, and social reformer. His work is mostly known for its dedication to help the less fortunate people in New York City. Jacob Riis immigrated to the United States from Denmark in 1870. After years of extreme poverty and hardship he finally found employment as a police reporter for the New York Tribune in 1877. His journalistic photographs of these became very influential to the social welfare of New York City. Jacob Riis employed a blend of reporting, reform and photography that made him a unique legend in all three fields. Theodore Roosevelt held Riis in very high esteem offering him positions of power and influence in his administration and calling him, "the most useful citizen of New York". Instead Riis continued his creative work, producing books on the plight of poor children, immigrants and tenement dwellers. He worked for many publishers such as the New York Evening Sun, the New York Tribune, and the Brooklyn News.