Immigration & Urbanization (1880-1920)

Immigrants arriving at Ellis Island in New York City in 1902

Tenements

Tenements in New York City around 1900

Jacob Riis

Riis & Flash Photography

Riis & Advocacy for the Poor

How the Other Half Lives

What were conditions like in New York City tenements in

the late 19th century?

1. When and where was the photograph taken?

2. Who took the photograph?a. What was their perspective on the events or people?

3. Why was the photograph taken?a. Might the photographer have wanted to portray the scene

in a certain way?

4. Under what circumstances was the photograph taken?a. How might these have limited or enabled what the

photographer captured?

5. What technology did the photographer use, and how might that have influenced the image created?

“5 Cents a Spot”What does each photograph suggest about what life was like in the tenements of New York City in the late 19th century? What other evidence would you need to determine if it is an accurate representation of life in the tenements?

“Tramp in Mulberry Street Yard”What does each photograph suggest about what life was like in the tenements of New York City in the late 19th century? What other evidence would you need to determine if it is an accurate representation of life in the tenements?

“Italian Mother and her Baby”What does each photograph suggest about what life was like in the tenements of New York City in the late 19th century? What other evidence would you need to determine if it is an accurate representation of life in the tenements?

“I Scrubs”What does each photograph suggest about what life was like in the tenements of New York City in the late 19th century? What other evidence would you need to determine if it is an accurate representation of life in the tenements?

Based on Riis’s writing, how does he feel about different immigrant groups?

How does this affect the way we view his photographs? Does it change whether or not we can consider them good evidence?