Flash of a Dream

A portrait of the Danish photographer and fighter for social justice, Jacob Riis, who had only his camera as a weapon against poverty and deprivation in the slums of New York at the end of the 19th century. Riis’s photography gave affluent Americans an insight into the deplorable conditions in which immigrants lived. He was respected not only by the wealthy and influential, including President Roosevelt himself, but also by the less fortunate. His work led to social reforms on a national and international level. Today Jacob Riis is the most well known Danish name for Americans.