Progressive Era Photographs What do they say to you? All of the photographs in this presentation appeared in the 1914 edition of “How The Other Half Lives” by Jacob Riis. Prior to viewing this presentation, the class should have read “The Bend”.

Mulberry Bend, New York Jacob Riis Photograph The infamous bend that is the subject of the chapter the class read. What do you see? What is the street made out of? What is on the street? Mulberry Bend, New York

Dens of Death The Other Half Do you think “Dens of Death” is the official name for this street as it appeared on a NYC map? What do you see? What are the buildings made of? Why might that be a problem? Are there windows? Do you think the roof of the central building leaks? Why? Dens of Death

What is your impression? What is the importance of the phrase “all its furniture”? What do you see in the picture? What do you think the bucket is for? What’s on the couch? A Flat in the Pauper’s Barracks with All its Furniture

What does riis think of this? What are those buildings made of? Do they look like sheds to you? What do you see in the picture? Why isn’t there a man next to the woman with the baby? How is the woman dressed? How are the men dressed? It Costs a Dollar a Month to Sleep in These Sheds.

What does Riis think of these people? What do you see? Does the wash on the line look clean? Ow many children? Where are the men? What do you see in the bottom left of the picture? Why are there planks on the roof? How are the children dressed? What do you think Jacob Riis thought of these people? Why? Scene on the Roof of the Mott Street Barracks.

What can you tell me about this family? Do you think “Poverty Gap” appeared on the NYC map? What is a coal heaver? Is this a candid picture? How is the room lit? Do you see any windows? What can you tell me about this family? In Poverty Gap, and English Coal-Heaver’s Home.

Why does riis show a “sabbath eve”? Why do you think Riis focused on the fact it was the Sabbath? What do you see in the picture that tells you it’s the Sabbath? Is this a candid shot? Why do you think it’s in a coal cellar? Ready for Sabbath Eve in a Coal Cellar.

What can you identify of this man’s belongings? Is this inside or outside? Where is light coming from? How many people are in the picture? What’s hanging up? In Sleeping Quarters, Rivington Street Dump

Why is there a pile of wood in the upper left corner? What’s the wood for? How is the room lit? How many men do you see in this picture? Is this candid? How is the room heated? Men’s Lodging Room in West 47th Street Station.

Why is this lodging house empty? Do you think this is meant to be permanent lodging? What do roomers sleep on? How many sleeping spots do you see in this photo? Why aren’t there any personal belongings? A Seven-Cent Lodging House, Pell Street.

In a Sweat Shop. Is this a candid photo? How would you describe the expression on the workers’ faces? What’s that pile on the right side of the photo? Can you make out what is behind the men? What is on the lap of the seated boy? In a Sweat Shop.

What makes this photograph shocking to the viewer? Is there any clue in this picture that indicates whether this is living space as well as working space? Where is the seated boy looking? What do you think is in the barrel? How many people are in the photo? How would you identify them? Bohemian Cigarmakers at Work in Their Tenement.

How do you know this is an attic? Do you think she sleeps in this room? Why? What do you see in the room? What is on the walls? How big is the room? How old do you think “Old Mrs. Benoit” is? Why? Old Mrs. Benoit in Her Hudson Street Attic.

What parts of the photo connect to the caption? Where is the slide? What is the slide? How old are these children? Are they playing? What makes you think this is their “only playground”? How are they dressed? What do you think those baskets are for? The Slide That Was the Children’s Only Playground.

What’s a Poverty gapper? No dictionary I looked in had the phrase “poverty gapper”. A gapper was defined in several ways that are of no help, including a ball hit in baseball between outfielders, or a person who takes a gap year between high school and college. I think the term may be used here as a name for a poor person, in this case a child, who falls between the gaps in society. This is a situation where a person from a later time may have trouble understanding the contemporary language of the time. Can you think of any examples from today’s language? Dis? (Did you dis me?) Poverty Gappers Playing Coney Island.

Why would there be a night school in a lodging house? How many students in the school? How old are they? What do you think is being taught? Why? Are there text books? Are there any girls in the class? Where are the students looking? Night School in the Seventh Avenue Lodging House.

bibliography These photographs all appeared in “The Other Half”, a book by Jacob Riis documenting the urban poor of New York City. These photographs and captions were obtained from a web site called “Jacob Riis Photographs” at: http://xroads.virginia.edu/~ma01/davis/photography/images/riisphotos/sli deshow1.html

A Seven-Cent Lodging House, Pell Street. Point of view A Seven-Cent Lodging House, Pell Street. Clean temporary short term lodging for new immigrants.

Poverty Gappers Play Coney Island. Point of view Poverty Gappers Play Coney Island.

Old Mrs. Benoit in her Hudson Street Attic.

Work. In a sweatshop.

You come up with a caption Bohemian Cigarmakers at Work in Their Tenement.

The End