'How The Other Half Lives'
Danés emigrado a Estados Unidos, Jacob Riis conoció de primera mano las condiciones más duras de los bajos fondos de Nueva York, primero mientras trataba de subsistir como joven recién llegado y después trabajando como reportero para diversos medios. Las condiciones de escasa luz en las que tuvo que desenvolverse para tomar fotografías, barrios de escasa o nula iluminación, le obligaron a servirse de luz artificial para las tomas siendo uno de los primeros fotógrafos conocidos en hacer uso del flash, lo que le ha valido su sitio en la Historia de la Fotografía, aunque también hay en ella lugar para su obra maestra, el reportaje gráfico de 1890 'Cómo vive la otra mitad', que le propició la simpatía y amistad del sexto Presidente de los Estados Unidos, Theodore Roosevelt (entonces una autoridad policial), que conmovido por ese trabajo determinó el cierre de los albergues controlados por la policía, que se habían convertido en una especie de prisión para gente sin recursos. Aunque, a pesar del carácter empático y filántropo del trabajo de Riis, en su biografía hay también aspectos oscuros, sobre todo su misoginia y machismo y ciertas afecciones racistas y xenófobas.
A Danish emigrated to the United States, Jacob Riis knew firsthand the tough conditions of the slums of New York, first while trying to survive as a young newcomer and afterwards as a reporter. The low light conditions in which he had to shoot, with little or no lighting, forced him to use artificial light turning into one of the first photographers known to make use of flash which has earned him a place in the History of Photography but also for his masterpiece, the graphic report of 1890 'How the Other Half Lives', which led to the sympathy and friendship of the sixth President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt (then a police authority), who moved by this work determined to improve the conditions of the less favoured citizens. Although, in spite of the empathetic and filantropist work of Riis, in his biography there is also a dark side, especially his misogyny and sexism and certain racism and xenophobia.
A Danish emigrated to the United States, Jacob Riis knew firsthand the tough conditions of the slums of New York, first while trying to survive as a young newcomer and afterwards as a reporter. The low light conditions in which he had to shoot, with little or no lighting, forced him to use artificial light turning into one of the first photographers known to make use of flash which has earned him a place in the History of Photography but also for his masterpiece, the graphic report of 1890 'How the Other Half Lives', which led to the sympathy and friendship of the sixth President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt (then a police authority), who moved by this work determined to improve the conditions of the less favoured citizens. Although, in spite of the empathetic and filantropist work of Riis, in his biography there is also a dark side, especially his misogyny and sexism and certain racism and xenophobia.
