Artwork by Michael DiMilo
By Geoff Carter
A photograph can record many things—a fond memory, a milestone, a precious moment, or an historical record. Weddings, graduations, reunions, class pictures, and births are some of the momentous occasions traditionally preserved on film. Even casual Polaroids of kids playing or friends hanging out can carry special significance, especially when we look at faded images of old friends or our much younger selves. Photos record the landmarks of our lives—sometimes in a flattering way, sometimes not. Driver license photos are for some reason notoriously unkind to the subject. It’s difficult to say why. There’s plenty of warning before the shutter clicks. Maybe it’s the atmosphere of bureaucratic inefficiency and indifference that make for an inferior photo. Class photos and graduation pictures, on the other hand, always seem much happier—they are, after all, a reflection of hope.
Photos are also almost indisputably objective documents. They are used to record crime scenes, accidents, or historic occurrences like the flag-raising on Iwo Jima, the Hindenburg disaster, or the horrors of Auschwitz. There is a power in the photograph. A picture conveys the truth simply and directly; it is (except when altered) undeniably true. Yet these artifacts capture more than just an image. Some Native Americans believed a camera could steal their soul and trap it inside a photograph. Maybe this is how criminals feel having their mugshot taken.
Getting arrested, booked, fingerprinted, and processed is a harrowing experience—having a mugshot taken is the icing on this bitter cake. It is the document used by the authorities to identify suspects; it is also a public record of criminal behavior and—almost worse—of being apprehended. In a sense, it almost to the stocks or pillories in colonial America. The perpetrator is exhibited for all to see and judge.
Mugshots of notorious criminals like Al Capone, Ted Bundy, Ed Gein, Jeffrey Dahmer, and John Gotti not only satisfy the curiosity of what a serial killer or mob boss looks like but provide a very narrow window into the souls of these criminals. Of course, this is tempered by the presuppositions of the viewer and of the self-conscious attempts of the perpetrators to look dispassionate and unemotional, just as we do at the DMV.
To me, mass killer Dahmer’s eyes look empty, like the eyes of a corpse, as do Ed Gein’s. There is neither fear nor empathy nor malice there. Ted Bundy looks irritated, almost petulant, as if the arrest was an imposition. Mick Jagger looks a little frightened. Steve McQueen seems amused (of course, this was not his first trip to the rodeo). Jane Fonda with raised fist looks righteous. John Gotti seems contemptuous, sneering into the camera. Capone looks pissed but maybe a bit apprehensive. Hugh Grant looks embarrassed and ashamed of himself. Some put up facades, while others seemed honestly ashamed. (See notes below to view)
Mugshots of these criminals mark the crossing of a boundary. For career criminals like Gotti and Capone, they marked the point of failure, the day they got caught. For Gein and Bundy, these photos defined individual chapters of cruelty, horror, and disgust so profound, they shocked—and fascinated—the world. For Hugh Grant, Mick Jagger, and David Bowie, they marked a crossing from the respectable into the criminal, although in some cases, like Jagger’s, the notoriety only fueled his popularity. But no matter who they were, the mugshot marked a milestone for each of these individuals.
When the mugshots of the nineteen defendants of the RICO trial for the 2020 election theft conspiracy in Georgia were published after their arrests, the images were splashed all over the media. Rudy Giuliani was caught glaring angrily at the camera as if trying to force his way through the lens and into the presence of Ms. Fani Willis, the Fulton County D.A. who arrested him. It was a look of intimidation. John Eastman, to a lesser degree, is trying to do the same as are Ken Cheseboro, Mark Meadows, Ray Smith, Robert Cheeley, and others. They seem to feel put out by being held accountable for their crimes. Sidney Powell and Cathy Latham merely look bewildered and perhaps a little frightened. Trevian Kutti, smiling like a crazy person, kind of looks like the protagonist in the horror movie Us. Jenna Ellis looks like she is at the DMV getting her driver’s license renewed. (Vox Mugshots)
But the crème de la crème is of course Donald Trump, the focal point of the alleged conspiracy. He is glaring angrily under his brows at the camera, his head tilted slightly downward. The left side of his mouth is curled downward (in disdain?) and he—like Giuliani—is staring directly into the heart of the camera. The picture seems very posed, and while I do not think that the Fulton County Jail set up special lighting for the ex-president, I would not be surprised to learn he had some no little time posing in front of the mirror to get the exact effect he wanted. After all, he is a master of the art of branding.
Of course, in Trump’s case, it wasn’t all just the mugshot. After flying to Atlanta for his booking in his Boeing 757 private jet, he joined a secret service entourage of at least seven black SUVs preceded by a phalanx of at least three dozen motorcycle cops streaming through the streets of the city. Main streets and freeway ramps were closed, a perimeter was set up around the jail, and three prisoner buses blocked the view to the entrance. Excess upon excess. If he could have, I believe Trump would ridden to jail in a solid gold Cadillac. If nothing else, the man is predictable.
The self-aggrandizement, the ego, the privilege, and—above all—the contempt, were written on every line of his face in the mugshot. And much of it was calculated. The mugshot has already become a rallying cry for the far right. Less than twenty-four hours after the event, hoodies and t-shirts with the likeness of the ex-president are $34, mugs for $25 and other merch is selling like hotcakes. Ironically—as was pointed out to me by a friend—the phrase “Never Surrender” was captioned under the photo recording the exact moment of his surrender.
His followers do not understand the belligerent creature who, if given the chance, will once again attempt to hijack our government. They see a man outraged at the injustices heaped upon him (which the ex-president, in his solipsistic bubble, probably believes) and who will not sit still as he is brought to trial for the crimes he has committed.
Mugshots are tricky. Some, like Janis Joplin or Hugh Grant’s arrest photos, are straightforward. It’s obvious what these people are feeling—not unlike Rudy’s or Mark Meadow’s shots. Others are much better at masking their true emotions, at hiding their shame or embarrassment or anger. David Bowie looks quite svelte and debonair, but there is no amusement in his eyes. He is deadpan. As is Sinatra. Steve McQueen, Christian Slater, and Robert Downey, Jr., seem amused. Maybe they are.
But a line has been crossed. Trump has officially entered the realm of the criminal. Even though he’d been arraigned in Manhattan, Florida, and D.C., nothing defined his impending legal problems more clearly than that single photograph. It is the face of (an alleged) criminal, a narcissist, and a man willing to tear down everything to bring himself up. He is a menace.
This mugshot also underlines a defining moment in American history. Never before has an ex-president been indicted, charged, and arrested on one, let alone ninety-two, felonies. It is also the first time an ex-president has been brought to account in a court of law for his crimes in America.
His mugshot may make him millions. It may make him more notorious than he already is, but it defines an era in our history, and it may very well define our society as one in which the rule of law dominates over any individual, no matter how rich, no matter how powerful. This, if our rule of law prevails, will be the people’s moment.
Notes
- https://www.vox.com/trump-investigations/2023/8/25/23845901/mugshots-trump-giuliani-ellis-georgia-case
- https://mythology.stackexchange.com/questions/2855/why-do-native-americans-think-photographs-steals-their-souls
- https://www.boredpanda.com/famous-mugshots/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=organic
- https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2023/08/24/trump-famous-mugshots-georgia/