If we allow ourselves an anthem, this would be mine.
"Oh, the passenger
He rides and he rides
He sees things from under glass
He looks through his window's eye
He sees the things he knows are his
He sees the bright and hollow sky
He sees the city asleep at night
He sees the stars are out tonight
And all of it is yours and mine
And all of it is yours and mine
Oh, let's ride and ride and ride and ride"
Iggy Pop
Photographs 1987-1998
The 1972 botched break-in of the Democratic National Headquarters in the Watergate Office Complex led to the only resignation of an American president. “This is Watergate” documents the places where the scandal occurred. As a kid, I was captivated by the media coverage and especially, the film “All the President’s Men.” In chronicling Watergate, I imitated the qualities of images I remember from television and the theatre. Current events remind me of the legacies of the Watergate scandal: the corruptive force of power, the importance of investigative journalism, and the role of a whistleblower.
On June 17, 1972 five men broke into the Democratic National Committee Headquarters located on the 6th floor of the Watergate Office Building. This act of domestic espionage led to Senate hearings and ended with the resignation of President Richard M Nixon in 1974.
Located across from the Watergate Building, Alfred C. Baldwin sat in room 723 of the Howard Johnson's monitoring the bugged phone of the DNC and signaled the burglars when it was clear to enter the DNC office.
After leaving the infamous piece of tape on a door in the Watergate building that alerted a security guard to the break-in, James W. McCord, was arrested the night of the burglary along with the four other men, pleaded guilty, and was convicted on six counts. However, he later wrote a letter to Judge John J. Sirica claiming that the defendants had pleaded guilty under pressure (from John Dean and John Mitchell, among others) and that perjury had been committed. McCord's allegations that the White House knew of the burglary and attempt to cover it up were crucial in causing investigators to push further.
Howard Hunt and G Gordon Liddy plotted the Watergate burglaries and other clandestine operations for the Nixon administration. In the Watergate scandal, Hunt was convicted of burglary, conspiracy, and wiretapping, and was sentenced to 33 months in prison.
Former home of Washington Post reporter, Bob Woodward. Woodward claimed he would signal "Deep Throat" that he desired a meeting by placing a flowerpot with a red flag on the balcony of his apartment. When Deep Throat wanted a meeting he would make special marks on page twenty of Woodward's copy of The New York Times and would circle the page number and draw clock hands to indicate the hour.
From 1972-1973, Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward met with an anonymous source in this underground garage. Nicknamed "Deep Throat", the informant gave information about President Nixon's involvement in the Watergate scandal. In 2005, "Deep Throat" was revealed to be former FBI Associate Director Mark Felt.
Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein led the press' investigation into what became known as the Watergate Scandal; reporting in the newspaper greatly contributed to the resignation of President Nixon and criminal convictions for many involved.
Former home of Judy Hoback Miller, book keeper for the Committee to Re-Elect the President. Hoback acted as a key investigative source for Washington Post reporters Woodward and Bernstein.
On Saturday October 20,1973 Nixon ordered the firing of Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox, leading to the resignation of both the Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General. Nixon fired Cox after Cox subpoenaed the secret White House tapes which held key info in the case against Nixon.
On Saturday October 20,1973 Nixon ordered the firing of Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox, leading to the resignation of both the Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General. Nixon fired Cox after Cox subpoenaed the secret White House tapes which held key info in the case against Nixon.
Frank was my neighbor. He was old. He was Dutch and spoke with a crisp accent. He was a Psychiatrist and he rode a bike. He was mercurial. I mowed his grass. He lived alone. He died alone. There was a memorial at his house. Then a yard sale. Then the house was sold.
