Capturing Des Moines, one photo at a time

Charlie Borowicz utilizes his artistic perspective, shaped by a childhood of frequent moves within a large army family, to capture Des Moines through photography. Simultaneously, the book The Nastiest Saloon in Iowa, authored by David and Rose Donovan, explores the city's early 1900s history. This richly reported work presents Des Moines as a central character, uncovering a dark past defined by corruption, prostitution, and murder within the heartland of central Iowa during that era.