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The Quincy Mine Hoist Association, Keweenaw National Historical Park, and Keweenaw National Historical Park Advisory Commission are jointly hosting a National Endowment for the Humanities traveling exhibit. The exhibit, Jacob A. Riis: How the Other Half Lives, will be on display at the Calumet Visitor Center from September 3 – October 20.
Jacob Riis (1849-1914) was a pioneering newspaper reporter and social reformer in New York City at the turn of the twentieth century. His then-novel idea of using photographs of the city’s slums to illustrate the plight of impoverished residents established Riis as a forerunner of modern photojournalism. Jacob A. Riis: How the Other Half Lives features photographs by Riis and his contemporaries, as well as his handwritten journals and personal correspondence.
Visitors to the exhibition will experience a Riis presentation–immersive life-size photographs, as well as artifacts and personal documentation. The exhibition is made possible by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). Jacob A. Riis: How the Other Half Lives is adapted from the exhibition Jacob A. Riis: Revealing New York’s Other Half, organized by the Museum of the City of New York. The exhibition was curated by Bonnie Yochelson and co-presented by the Library of Congress. It was adapted and toured for NEH on the Road by Mid-America Arts Alliance.
Exhibit preparations include public meetings and the development of satellite exhibits, workshops, presentations, and open houses. If you would like to learn more about the traveling exhibit and how you or your organization can be involved, please attend a public meeting on Wednesday, March 13 from 6:30 – 7:30pm at the CLK Public Library or on Friday, March 15 from 1:00 – 2:30pm at the Finnish American Historical Archive at the Finnish American Heritage Center in Hancock.. During these meetings, we will share exhibit details and brainstorm program and supplemental exhibit ideas.
