INSURRECTION

On January 20, 2017, photojournalist Nate Gowdy stood at the U.S. Capitol, incredulous, as Donald J. Trump—with right hand raised and left atop the Lincoln Bible—took the presidential oath of office, vowing to end “American carnage.”

Four years later, on January 6, 2021, Gowdy returned to Washington, DC, prepared to document one last MAGA rally: the outgoing president’s “Save America” speech at the Ellipse. Instead, he found himself amidst right-wing extremists, fervently inscribing that day into the annals of history.

The result is Gowdy’s debut monograph, INSURRECTION, where surreal scenes unfold: militants marching, kneeling in prayer, posing for group photos, breaking for hotdogs, rampaging against the Capitol’s sworn protectors, and leading thousands to defile the Inauguration Day stage.

Twice assaulted for being deemed “fake news,” Gowdy persisted in exposing the truth. Shot on assignment for Rolling Stone, his stark, unflinching images depict the US Capitol, one of democracy’s most sacred symbols, as it becomes a haunting set piece in a dystopian tableau of domestic terror--an inside job.

This 150-page hardcover stands as the sole book of photojournalism dedicated to one of the darkest days in modern American history. Its timestamped photographs and contextual captions chronicle one of democracy’s most rarified spaces, once reserved for solemn and dignified assembly, as it is overwhelmed with—you guessed it—American carnage.

Foreworded by DC Metropolitan Police Officer Daniel Hodges, who risked his life defending the Capitol and was almost crushed to death, INSURRECTION captures a chilling chapter in American politics, spotlighting the fragility of a nation’s ideals.

INSURRECTION
Photographs, text & design by Nate Gowdy
Foreword by Officer Daniel Hodges
Introduction by Michael Rowe
Edited by Lisa van Dam-Bates
Printed and bound in the USA

• 124 duotone plates
• 150 pages
• 9x11 Hardcover
• Published by Pigeon Editions, January 2023
• ISBN-13: 978-1-7354812-3-4
• Print run of 500

Available here and at select Seattle bookstores, such as Elliott Bay Book Company.
Shipping on this site is USA only (contact nate.gowdy@gmail.com for exceptions).

You will receive an email notification when yours ships the next business day!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nate Gowdy (1984; Elkhart, Indiana) is a Seattle photographer of 14 years who documents this American political era.

In 2011, Gowdy was hired as staff photographer at Seattle Gay News, where he became immersed in the city’s queer and trans communities, primarily capturing drag and nightlife culture. He served as the official photographer for the Seattle Pride Parade from 2011 through 2024. In 2012, Gowdy dedicated himself to covering the fight for marriage equality in Washington state.

Gowdy worked closely with President Obama in 2013 and Vice President Biden in 2014 during their visits to Seattle. Since 2015, he has self-funded coverage of hundreds of political rallies and demonstrations across 27 states and Washington, DC. In 2016, his portrait of Bernie Sanders was featured on TIME magazine’s cover, and editorial clients include Rolling Stone and Mother Jones.

In 2019, Gowdy, with a small core team, spearheaded The American Superhero project, a collaborative studio portrait and storytelling series. The following year, he photographed and co-authored Our Students, Their Stories for Seattle Public Schools. This 100-page coffee table book celebrates LGBTQIA+ students, families, and staff, marking the first project of its kind commissioned by an American school district.

In 2023, Gowdy self-published his first monograph, INSURRECTION. This award-winning, 150-page hardcover is the sole book to visually chronicle—with timestamped images and contextual captions—the deadly mob attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. With over 1,250 copies sold, the hardcover remains available at www.nategowdy.com and Elliott Bay Book Co.

A journalism graduate from Indiana University and a former newspaper editor, preschool caregiver, and community outreach worker, Gowdy maintains a photography studio in Seattle’s International District. His fine art is represented at Monroe Gallery of Photography in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Outside of work, he enjoys teaching, kayaking, biking, yoga, and spending time with loved ones.

AWARDS & HONORS

• PX3—The Prix de la Photographie Paris (2023: 1st Place, Book Photographer of the Year; Gold in Book, Documentary; Gold in Press/Political)
• American Photography (Selected: 2023 [x4], 2022 [x2])
• Communication Arts Photography Annual (Books, 2022; Editorial, 2021)
• International Photography Awards (2022: 1st Place in Book, Self Published; 3rd Place in Editorial/Press, War/Conflict; Best of Show [Guest Curator, Dr. Mark Sealy])
• Lucie Photo Book Prize (2022: Independent Category Finalist)
• Society of Professional Journalists Western Washington’s 2022 Passion Project Grant
• Philipson Foundation’s 2022 Public Documentation Grant

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

“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 fragile 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 (D-WA)

“INSURRECTION moves readers through the day in timestamped, chronological order, bringing them a firsthand, up-close account of not just the insurrection, but what it was like to be a journalist on the front lines of a battle for democracy.”
— Mother Jones

“First, I want to thank you for photographing what you do. Kudos. I think you are a first-rate journalist. As soon as the insurrection occurred, I started looking at images I felt portrayed the event the best—yours always came out on top.
— Will Michels, co-curator of WAR/PHOTOGRAPHY: Images of Armed Conflict and its Aftermath, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

“Gowdy’s photos are a searing reminder of the threat our democracy faced on January 6, 2021. His courage in documenting the images of that fateful day in American history have also been key to ensuring that insurrectionists who incited and executed the attack on our nation’s Capitol are held accountable for their actions.”
— Donald Sherman, Chief Counsel, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington

“The book looks amazing and is such an incredible document and reminder of a historically significant day. It’s wildly moving seeing it presented the way you have. Very well done.”
— Griffin Lotz, Rolling Stone

“Wow, Gowdy’s images from Jan. 6 are powerful. I can see why he sold out the first print run.”
— Charles Whitaker, Dean of Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism

“Gowdy has an eye for identifying essential truths in a sea of noise. Our country will be reckoning with the fallout of January 6 for years to come, be it the injuries and traumas sustained, the criminal records acquired, or the weakening of our democratic institutions. Turn these pages. The best way to prevent this from happening again is to understand who brought this about. Guard against what they stand for, and thwart the ideologies they represent—in your neighbors and your families, and within yourself.”
— Officer Daniel Hodges, DC Metropolitan Police Department, in his Foreword

“The journalists who take risks to bring us the stories like the ones told here in this book would dismiss the notion that they are doing anything but their jobs. Most would be embarrassed to be called “heroes,” but none would ever countenance being called “the enemy of the people.” That’s an autocrat’s phrase, one usually wielded by politicians and power brokers for whom the real enemy is the truth—which is what journalism, and especially photojournalism, is, at its best. And INSURRECTION is photojournalism at its very best.
— Michael Rowe, award-winning novelist, in his Introduction

“For what it’s worth, I’m staying with my mom right now, who cut her teeth protesting the Vietnam War. When she leered through this book, and these images, she immediately said, ‘This is like the photos the journalists sent home from Vietnam.’ This book is a damn important work of art.”
— Reader review

“The book is amazing—well-conceived and laid out with dramatic, evocative photos and ‘in the moment’ text blocks. The timestamps are genius, and, together with the photos, give the book a propulsive feel that keeps the reader engaged, flipping the pages, one after another. It deserves a higher profile, and I honestly feel it should be sent to every member of Congress.”— Reader review

“I follow the news, on both sides, and have never had a better understanding of what actually happened that day, and who all was involved, than after seeing this book. And as a photographer, I’m inspired to up my game to capture so much story in singular moments in time. Absolutely stunning!”
— Reader review

“Hi Nate, we were visiting a family friend of yours last night and saw your photo journal of January 6th. As hard as it was to view, here I am in the middle of the night attempting to purchase the book. Huge congrats on the softcover first-edition being sold out. I hear you may have a hardcover version coming out, which means maybe we can still get a copy? Please let me know. It’s something I want my grandchildren to see, study, and know.”
— Reader review

PRESS

March 2023 | Town Hall Seattle
“Nate Gowdy — The Insurrection in photos”

March 2023 | International Examiner
“Photographer probes an American heart of darkness in INSURRECTION photo book”

Spring 2013 | Indiana University Alumni Magazine
“Nate Gowdy: Capturing political moments”

January 2023 | PetaPixel
“Photojournalist releases intense images from the Jan 6 riot”

January 2023 | Seize the Moment Podcast
“Nate Gowdy — Storm of the Capitol: The Insurrection of January 6th”

January 2023 | Seattle Gay News
“Nate Gowdy captures history in the making in his new book, INSURRECTION”

January 2023 | Forthright Radio
“Nate Gowdy’s INSURRECTION”

January 2023 | Nicole Sandler Show
“No Insurrection whitewashing allowed here with Nate Gowdy”

January 2023 | PBS NewsHour
“The 'melee' of Jan. 6, through a photographer's lens”

January 2023 | Mother Jones
“INSURRECTION: January 6, up close and firsthand: A new photo book brings you face-to-face with the fight for the Capitol”

January 2023 | Crosscut
“A Seattle photographer's firsthand account of the Jan. 6 chaos”

September 2022 | Post Alley | Seattle (originally for PublicDisplay.Art)
“From Bernie Sanders to immigrant superheroes to January 6th, Seattle photographer Nate Gowdy chronicles the intimate and the dangerous of American Politics”

January 2023 | Talk Louisiana
“Photojournalist Nate Gowdy reflects on the January 6 insurrection on its two-year anniversary”

January 2023 | Thom Hartmann Program
“‘Jan 6th insurrectionists attacked me during coup attempt’”

January 2023 | Charlotte Talks with Mike Collins
“Reflections on the January 6th Capitol attack, two years later”

December 2022 | Surreal News
“Interview with photographer Nate Gowdy”

July 2022 | KBCS.FM
“INSURRECTION: A photo compilation from Jan 6, 2021”

January 2021 | KING5
“Seattle-based photographer Nate Gowdy recalls violent day at US Capitol”

January 2021 | Malcontent News
“Photographer Nate Gowdy reflects on Washington D.C. Insurrection”

January 2021 | KBCS.FM
“Behind the Lens at the nation's Capitol during an Insurrection”