Immigration and Urbanization The Gilded Age
Lower East Side Tenement The first multiple dwellings were the tenements that were built largely for poor immigrants. In the 1860’s and 70’s, hundreds of tenements were built, primarily on the Lower East Side of New York City, as more and more poor immigrants arrived. Originally, there were little laws governing tenement construction, and most were filthy, crowded and lacked electricity and running water. Conditions were absolutely horrible. Source: Andrew Dolkart, Tenements: The First Multiple Dwellings.
Tenement Floor plan Tenements were overcrowded, unsanitary, and often lacked heat, electricity, water and proper sewage. This picture is a floor plan of a typical dumbbell tenement built to house working-class families.
Drawing of a Tenement from Jacob Riis
A Tale of Two-Halves During the Gilded Age, the wealthy entrepreneurs and the middle-class managers formed one-half of society, while the working-poor made up the other half. The rich lived lavish lifestyles in beautiful, spacious homes. Immigrants families faced harsh realities: long hours, low pay, and unsanitary and crowded living conditions.
Jacob Riis During the Gilded Age photography was used as a method of documentation and a tool for social reform. Jacob Riis attempted to capture the realities of 19th Century America for the “other half” by photographing how much of New York City lived during the Gilded Age.
Jacob Riis Continued… Jacob Riis was trying to show the world a problem and convince people to work together to find a solution. We will now view pictures from How the Other Half Lives.
Mulberry Bend: the notorious home of Tenements
Room in a Tenement House
Bottle Alley, Mulberry Road
Typical Tenement Fire Escape Serving as an extension of the flat
Jersey Street Tenements
Tenement-House Yard
In the home of an Italian Rag-Picker on Jersey Street
A girl and baby sister, on their doorstep
An old rear Tenement on Roosevelt Street
Old Barney in Cat Alley
Girl of the Tenement
Family making artificial flowers in their Tenement
Fighting Tuberculosis on the Roof
Bottle Alley, Mulberry Bend
In poverty Gap: West 28 Street: an English coal-heaver’s home
“Didn’t Live Nowhere”
A Man slept in this cellar for Four Years
Sewing and Starving in an Elizabeth Street Attic
A flat in the pauper barracks with all its furniture
Under the Dump at Rivington Street, 1890
Street Children in Night Quarters
Tenement on West 47 Street, 1890
Old Mrs. Benoir in her Hudson Street attic
Lodgers in a crowded Bayard Street Tenement
Immigrant worker in a Coal Cellar Tenement, Ludlow Street
Old Immigrant House on Bleecker Street All pictures from Jacob Riis, How the Other Half Lives, restored version Retrieved online from www.authentichistory.com/postvicilwar/riis/contents.