INSURRECTION
by Nate Gowdy
A Remarkable Chronicle of the Deadly Attack Against American Democracy
"Gowdy's pictures show how close we came to losing our democracy. His book reminds us that we cannot and must not look away and that the threats against our democracy are as present as ever. I encourage everyone to page through this courageous work with eyes wide open to the violence, hatred, and lies that have swept up our politics." — Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal
Nate Gowdy had previously photographed 30 Donald Trump rallies. He thought he was fully prepared for what should have been the grand finale, but the events that unfolded on January 6th, 2021, were more than anyone could have expected. On assignment for Rolling Stone, Gowdy was one of only a handful of media who followed the insurrectionists for the duration of their attack on the Capitol. Insurrection is the only comprehensive book of photojournalism of that fateful day.
Gowdy arrived at the U.S. Capitol at around 10:40 AM ready to get to work, knowing that at noon, President Trump was scheduled to take the rally stage at the Ellipse. As Gowdy approached the Ellipse, he encountered a gang of Proud Boys. Without warning, one of them—a man wearing a Trump 2020 beanie, his face covered by a bandana and dark sunglasses—broke from the mob and lunged at him. He captured the moment on camera, and when shouting that he was press with Rolling Stone, the militants jeered at him, calling him "Antifa" and "Fake News." The timestamp on the photo is 10:52 AM… Gowdy had only been there for a little more than 10 minutes.
This was far from the only violence Gowdy witnessed. He was assaulted again as rioters breached the first Capitol grounds' barricades, and later, he observed an Associated Press photojournalist being attacked by the crowd and pushed over a wall. "Everything happened so fast," Gowdy recalls. "My cell reception was bad, so I didn't know what was happening at the rally or inside the Capitol. Outside at the Inauguration Day stage, it was anarchy.”
As the event transformed from protest to outright insurrection, Gowdy never stopped photographing. The result is a one-of-a-kind, frighteningly intimate chronicle of that shameful day. Gowdy shot most of the series of 126 images using a wide-angle lens, putting viewers in the middle of the mayhem. Each timestamped image, printed in rich duotone on silk-coated pages and with a hardbound cover, is presented alongside first-person insights and context about the unprecedented siege.
Gowdy's pictures capture the absurd incongruities of the disgraceful spectacle now simply referred to as January 6th. Juxtaposed are militiamen kneeling and praying, posing for group photos, and eating hotdogs right before they embark on their rampage battering the Capitol's sworn protectors, bashing down the doors and windows to Congress, chanting for the heads of public officials, and defiling spaces historically reserved for the stately pomp and circumstance of our representative government. A rioter's single hand, middle finger raised in defiance, the iconic dome of the Capitol building in the background, and a lone TRUMP 2020 banner waving above. A bearded man, isolated among the moving crowd bearing multiple American flags, is himself wrapped in one, wiping his eyes. He appears to be weeping, but in fact, he is merely clearing his eyes of pepper spray.
As remarkable as Gowdy's experience was that day, these haunting photographs were almost lost. Just two days later, as the nation still struggled to understand what it had just witnessed, Gowdy was waiting for a train at Union Station in Washington, D.C. While on the phone, he realized he was running late. As he rushed for the gate, he noticed he had left his camera bag and gear behind. In the three minutes that it took to return and retrieve his belongings, they were gone. Taking to social media to share his devastating news, he assumed the worst, not expecting that his friends, family, and fans would immediately get to work finding the missing equipment. After three agonizing days, his camera and this portfolio were miraculously recovered.
Insurrection, with a foreword by D.C. Metropolitan Police Officer Daniel Hodges (who was almost crushed to death defending the Capitol on January 6th), is an honest, eye-opening documentation of one of the most deplorable days in American history.
"Gowdy's pictures show how close we came to losing our democracy. His book reminds us that we cannot and must not look away and that the threats against our democracy are as present as ever. I encourage everyone to page through this courageous work with eyes wide open to the violence, hatred, and lies that have swept up our politics." — Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal
Nate Gowdy had previously photographed 30 Donald Trump rallies. He thought he was fully prepared for what should have been the grand finale, but the events that unfolded on January 6th, 2021, were more than anyone could have expected. On assignment for Rolling Stone, Gowdy was one of only a handful of media who followed the insurrectionists for the duration of their attack on the Capitol. Insurrection is the only comprehensive book of photojournalism of that fateful day.
Gowdy arrived at the U.S. Capitol at around 10:40 AM ready to get to work, knowing that at noon, President Trump was scheduled to take the rally stage at the Ellipse. As Gowdy approached the Ellipse, he encountered a gang of Proud Boys. Without warning, one of them—a man wearing a Trump 2020 beanie, his face covered by a bandana and dark sunglasses—broke from the mob and lunged at him. He captured the moment on camera, and when shouting that he was press with Rolling Stone, the militants jeered at him, calling him "Antifa" and "Fake News." The timestamp on the photo is 10:52 AM… Gowdy had only been there for a little more than 10 minutes.
This was far from the only violence Gowdy witnessed. He was assaulted again as rioters breached the first Capitol grounds' barricades, and later, he observed an Associated Press photojournalist being attacked by the crowd and pushed over a wall. "Everything happened so fast," Gowdy recalls. "My cell reception was bad, so I didn't know what was happening at the rally or inside the Capitol. Outside at the Inauguration Day stage, it was anarchy.”
As the event transformed from protest to outright insurrection, Gowdy never stopped photographing. The result is a one-of-a-kind, frighteningly intimate chronicle of that shameful day. Gowdy shot most of the series of 126 images using a wide-angle lens, putting viewers in the middle of the mayhem. Each timestamped image, printed in rich duotone on silk-coated pages and with a hardbound cover, is presented alongside first-person insights and context about the unprecedented siege.
Gowdy's pictures capture the absurd incongruities of the disgraceful spectacle now simply referred to as January 6th. Juxtaposed are militiamen kneeling and praying, posing for group photos, and eating hotdogs right before they embark on their rampage battering the Capitol's sworn protectors, bashing down the doors and windows to Congress, chanting for the heads of public officials, and defiling spaces historically reserved for the stately pomp and circumstance of our representative government. A rioter's single hand, middle finger raised in defiance, the iconic dome of the Capitol building in the background, and a lone TRUMP 2020 banner waving above. A bearded man, isolated among the moving crowd bearing multiple American flags, is himself wrapped in one, wiping his eyes. He appears to be weeping, but in fact, he is merely clearing his eyes of pepper spray.
As remarkable as Gowdy's experience was that day, these haunting photographs were almost lost. Just two days later, as the nation still struggled to understand what it had just witnessed, Gowdy was waiting for a train at Union Station in Washington, D.C. While on the phone, he realized he was running late. As he rushed for the gate, he noticed he had left his camera bag and gear behind. In the three minutes that it took to return and retrieve his belongings, they were gone. Taking to social media to share his devastating news, he assumed the worst, not expecting that his friends, family, and fans would immediately get to work finding the missing equipment. After three agonizing days, his camera and this portfolio were miraculously recovered.
Insurrection, with a foreword by D.C. Metropolitan Police Officer Daniel Hodges (who was almost crushed to death defending the Capitol on January 6th), is an honest, eye-opening documentation of one of the most deplorable days in American history.
Book Information
ISBN:
978-1-7354812-3-4
Publisher:
Pigeon Editions