Jacob A. Riis 
The old town 

Jacob A. Riis’s ‘The Old Town’ is a poignant exploration of tenement life in late 19th-century New York City. Riis’s vivid narrative and detailed descriptions provide a raw insight into the harsh realities faced by immigrants living in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions. The book is written in a journalistic style, incorporating personal anecdotes and interviews with residents, highlighting the author’s commitment to social reform and shining a light on the plight of the urban poor. Riis utilizes a blend of storytelling and statistical data to reveal the inequalities and struggles of marginalized communities, making ‘The Old Town’ a groundbreaking work of social realism and investigative journalism. Jacob A. Riis, a Danish-American journalist and photographer, drew upon his own experiences of poverty and hardship to write ‘The Old Town’. His background as an immigrant and his work as a police reporter in New York City inspired him to expose the living conditions of the city’s slums and advocate for social change through his writing. I highly recommend ‘The Old Town’ to readers interested in urban history, social reform, and the development of investigative journalism. Riis’s powerful storytelling and firsthand accounts make this book a compelling and essential read for anyone seeking to understand the challenges faced by marginalized communities in the Gilded Age.