Jacob Riis' Candid Photographs of Progressive Era New York

Jacob Riis' career as a social reformer was greatly defined by his social work in Progressive Era New York. He founded the Jacob Riis Settlement House during the late 19th century and often took candid photographs of the people who benefitted from the services provided by his organization. Among the people photographed by Riis included immigrant families, Street Arabs, and members of the working class. Riis best utilized these pictures as photographic evidence for his books on the social ills that plagued late 19th century America.