Jacob August Riis (May 3, 1849 - May 26, 1914) was a Danish-American photographer and journalist. Riis came to the United States in 1861 and worked in various odd jobs before going into journalism. Riis is most known for his photographs and writings on slums in New York City. Riis is usually thought of as one of the Muckrakers, a group of people who wanted to improve conditions in cities.