Imagine a nine-year-old in your life today—now strip away the schoolyard, the playtime, and the freedom of youth, and replace it with the crushing weight of adult survival. In this episode of pplpod, we journey back to 1890 to examine a single, profoundly powerful primary source: Jacob Riis’s black-and-white photograph, “Iscrubs.” At the center of the lens is Katie, a nine-year-old "little mother" living on the top floor of a West 49th Street tenement. This image isn't just a historical artifact; it’s a landmark of documentary photography that helped spark a national movement for social reform. Unlike Riis’s earlier "flash powder ambushes" that startled subjects in the dark, this portrait represents a pivotal shift toward ethical engagement. By asking for Katie’s ...