Remarkable anti-Trump protest photos through the lens of a legendary photographer

In No Kings, Susan Meiselas captures images of people’ protest signs, and along with it, their hopes and dreams.

Just before the Trump’s second inauguration, Susan Meiselas picked up a camera in the middle of protests happening in America and captured people’s outrage. No Kings: Sign of the Times by Susan Meiselas is a rich photography book that turns the camera on people’s opinions on politics. Taken at the protests Meiselas attended in NYC and Washington, D.C, alongside an accompanying essay by Eduardo Cadava, No Kings is a visual display of ordinary people working hard to make their voices heard.

The title itself, “No Kings” refers to a slogan in American politics rejecting absolute presidential rule and authoritarianism, instead, calling for ordinary people’s voices to be heard. The subjects of No Kings are the signs themselves as Meiselas shines a light on the signs people use to make their voices heard, and relies on those signs to tell a story of protest and outrage.

No two signs are the same as Meiselas captures handmade signs held up by young children, by young people, and by the elderly, each uniquely crafted to represent their outrage. The signs themselves are not without humour, and this is what makes No Kings so provocative as a photography book. Beyond the outrage, the signs also show humour, criticism of current politics, and a burning hope for a better future. No Kings captures a still moment in time in American politics but put the focus on ordinary people instead of political figures.

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