Jacob Riis

**Tin Can** · 10-Feb-2021, 11:19

Never heard of him until minutes ago from another interest, a closed Zoom presentation will be done, next month.

https://www.icp.org/browse/archive/c.../all/all/all/0

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jacob-Riis

**Robert Opheim** · 10-Feb-2021, 13:48

Jacob Riis work is listed and shown in Beaumont Newhall's "History of Photography" and Michel Frizot's "A new History of Photography." I took photography classes in the early 1970's and the photography of Jacob Riis was talked about in our photographic history class. My memory is that Riis used photography to document sociological disparity around the turn of the twentieth century; much as the FSA did latter during the 1930's with the dust bowl and depression.

**martiansea** · 24-Feb-2021, 02:01

Apart from being known as an early success in activist art, he pioneered the use of flash.
Always bring him up in lectures when I'd teach. He's an historical touchstone for sure. But also, it brings up a good hot button topic of discussion re: the ethics of taking pics of "bums" in today's world. Alot of conversation to be had there.

**martiansea** · 24-Feb-2021, 02:19

Oh yeah, and the FSA stuff...always teach that, too. I hope everyone here is aware that most famous "Migrant Mother" shot by Dorothea Lange is almost completely fake. By "fake," I mean that the woman, described as a "pea picker" most certainly was not, and she didn't even reside in the camp where she was photographed. She had been driving past when her car broke down and she went to the camp to find help with getting someone to fix her flat tire. Part of why her kids were hiding in some of the pics were because she was so bothered and embarrassed to be photographed while having a bad day. And let's not forget Dorothea Lange was a highly skilled and renown portraitist before she got this gig with the FSA (that's how she got the gig, actually). All a show for politics. Don't get me wrong, I'm personally all on board with lefty politics, and there were genuinely destitute people in those migrant camps, but I like using the FSA pics as a good example to my students that "photos lie."
And yeah, there's some pics with the kids smiling and just having a good time, and you'd better believe Stryker took the hole punch to those negatives.