How the Other Half Lives: Studies Among the Tenements of New York

2015 Reprint of 1957 Edition. Full facsimile of the original edition, not reproduced with Optical Recognition Software. Originally published in 1890, this is the classic indictment of slum life, written by one of the most famous reformers of the nineteenth century. “How the Other Half Lives: Studies Among the Tenements of New York” explained not only the living conditions in New York slums, but also in the sweatshops in some tenements which paid workers only a few cents a day. The book explains the plight of working children, they would work in factories and at other jobs. Some children became garment workers and newsies (newsboys). The effect was the tearing down of New York’s worst tenements, sweatshops, and the reform of the city’s schools. The book led to a decade of improvements in Lower East Side conditions, with sewers, garbage collection, and indoor plumbing all following soon after, thanks to public reaction. Our edition reprints the 1957 edition, without the photo illustrations done mostly by Riis himself.