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The old town

Chapter 18: An Autobiography
By Jacob A. Riis
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About This Book

A sequence of affectionate sketches and recollections that evoke life in a compact, historic community through seasons, ceremonies, and everyday scenes. The narrator blends childhood memories of gardens and birds with vivid portrayals of churches, markets, local celebrations, and eccentric townspeople, interweaving folklore and short historical anecdotes. Descriptive vignettes trace architecture, pageantry, and seasonal labors, while reflective passages consider continuity between past and present and the ties that bind neighbors. The overall portrait is intimate and observational, aiming to preserve the sounds, sights, rituals, and human details that give the place its distinctive character.

By JACOB A. RIIS

THE MAKING OF AN AMERICAN

An Autobiography

“It is refreshing to find a book so unique and captivating ... one of the brightest, wholesomest, most fascinating books of the season.”—Record-Herald, Chicago.

“It fairly bubbles over with happiness, energy, and inspiration.... It is partly the pleasure of watching a desperate, thrilling contest against big odds, with success at the end, that gives this book its keen appeal.”—Boston Herald.

“As varied and delightful as any romance.”—Publishers’ Weekly.

Cloth, $1.50 net

THE BATTLE WITH THE SLUM

“Mr. Riis is a man who does not theorize, but who knows. His book is full of pathetic pictures, painful in their truth but beautiful in their meaning. No one who is interested in sociology can afford to miss what he has to say.”—Current Literature.

“The book thrills you as much as the most exciting romance and to far better purpose.”—The Boston Herald.

Cloth, $2.00 net

CHILDREN OF THE TENEMENTS

“Touches the heart and quickens the sympathies. Very human and pitiful are some of the episodes, and humorous, too, and they are told with simplicity and sincerity.... They bear the unmistakable stamp of fidelity to life.”—Brooklyn Times.

“Mr. Riis has gone into the poor districts and made the acquaintance of children in a manner that is not given to every one.... The work will commend itself to the thinking public.”—The Globe Democrat.

Cloth, $1.50 net

PUBLISHED BY
THE MACMILLAN COMPANY
64-66 Fifth Avenue, New York