These images will provide a completely different perspective on New York City in the 19th century.
As the city currently known for having the highest number of millionaires, New York has always been seen as a symbol of prosperity. However, few realize that alongside its dazzling images and iconic skyscrapers, the city once had an area that was completely opposite.
In the 19th century, New York City had over 1 million immigrants living in poverty. To gain a clearer view of the city’s “dark side,” Danish photographer Jacob Riis decided to document the impoverished lives of residents in New York’s slums in his book “How the Other Half Lives.”
The purpose of this book was to raise awareness about poverty in New York and promote measures to support those in need. Insider notes that Jacob Riis himself experienced a difficult childhood, having faced homelessness and a lack of money. Therefore, he fully understood the lives of these people.
Mulberry Bend area in Little Italy, New York around 1890
A young child holding a baby sitting outside a home in New York City around 1890
Three boys huddled together for warmth in New York in 1895
Children playing with barrels in an alley between apartment buildings in Gotham Court, New York City around 1890
A Jewish shoemaker in a coal cellar in New York, where he lived with his family in 1887
A poor family living in the Lower East Side of New York around 1890
Workers making ties inside an apartment in Little Italy, New York City, around 1890
People gathering in the dormitory of an apartment in New York City in 1905
An Italian immigrant sitting with a child in a small, rundown apartment on Jersey Street, New York City in 1887
A man smoking a pipe in the basement of an apartment building in New York City in 1891
A shoeshine boy named Tommy, holding a shoeshine kit on the sidewalk in New York City in 1890
