Riis Photo discussion?

Born in Denmark, Jacob Riis

Eventually, immigrated to the United States. He was passionate about helping the underprivileged newcomers and about photography. In his book "How the other half lives," Riis used photographs to show the deplorable living and working circumstances of the poor. He argued in his book for improved living conditions for the poor and denounced upper-class people who supported the idea of free labor as a foundation of American democracy. Riis had faith that after seeing how the poor lived, the charitable members of society would be ready to assist them. Riis took many photographs of children, streets, playgrounds, rooftops, backstreets among other places. This paper gives an analysis of one of Riis' historical photo named Bandits' Roost that was taken between the years 1887–1888.

Bandits' Roost

Bandits’ Roost was a backstreet located on Mulberry Street to the east of New York City. This place was the home to many Italian immigrants who used to live in broken down structures or tenements that were an addition to old houses. The picture was taken using a stereoscopic camera by Riis, Richard Hoe Lawrence, and Henry G. Piffard. The photograph depicts an aura of danger at first glance. At the entrance, two men who are looking at the camera suspiciously appear as if they are guarding the entry. A third man hanging on the rail wears a grave and commanding face, maybe he is the ring leader of the gang. The other side of the picture portrays a woman with two young children. Additionally, women are leaning out of the windows. If they are gangs as Riis Says, why are they willing to pose for the picture?

The Reality of Bandits' Roost

According to Riis, the alley was a breeding ground for immoral and criminal behaviors. From the image, nothing in the appearance portrays that the individuals are part of a notorious gang. Given that Riis was a police reporter, it is evident that police officers accompanied him. How would they have agreed to pose for a photograph that was supposed to tell a story of notorious criminals? And how would Riis have managed to make all the people in the picture cooperate? Is this alley a den of immorality as Riis put it? Or is it just a street of poor immigrants trying to survive? Conversely, the background of the picture shows a long stretch of laundry between the buildings. According to Riis, the long clotheslines depict a densely populated tenement full of poverty-stricken individuals. However, concluding whether the alley was a criminal base or not is hard.

The Meaning of the Picture

To establish the real meaning of a documentary picture needs the actual historical context of both the photograph and the creator. However, many documentary images are a symbol of artistic skills and a sensible act of persuasion. Depending on a person’s view, an image can depict different situations and can give various meanings. Riis, the police reporter, and a photographer believed that Mulberry Street, now called Chinatown district was a breeding ground for notorious criminals and that his picture, Bandits’ Roost which depicts an aura of menace with dangerous men, abandoned children and women and a long stretch of laundry were evidence of his argument. Since it took a ten-year campaign for Riis to clean up the street and wipe away all notorious gangs and criminal activities, it is evident that the alley was a haven of gangs.