Read My Pins

December 9, 2021 6:52 AM

Read My Pins: The Madeleine Albright Collection features more than 200 pins, most of the costume variety, which Secretary Albright wore to communicate a message before, during, and after her years of public service, including the years she led the Department of State, from 1997 to 2001. Sometimes demure and understated, sometimes outlandish and outspoken, these pins were used as gentle implements of statecraft.
posted by jrb223 (15 comments total)

I remember wondering in the 90s what pin she'd use to represent the sanctions against Iraq she promoted that led to the death of roughly 500,000 children? A price Albright declared "worth it".

Gentle indeed. Finery on a ghoul.
posted by ryanshepard at 7:31 AM on December 9, 2021 [25 favorites]

Reminds me of Queen Elizabeth's brooches.
posted by jenfullmoon at 8:19 AM on December 9, 2021 [6 favorites]

I got the book for Ma Ardship because she always admired Albright's style. She also was a big brooch enthusiast.
posted by The Ardship of Cambry at 8:48 AM on December 9, 2021

But yeah, ryanshepard is not wrong.
posted by The Ardship of Cambry at 8:51 AM on December 9, 2021 [4 favorites]

In September 2019, the UK Supreme Court found that the UK Prime Minister was wrong in law to close parliament for five weeks when the most momentous political change of the century was trundling relentlessly towards Brexit Day on 31st October.

For this key announcement, the Chair of the Supreme court, Baroness Hale, chose to wear an enormous silver brooch representing a stylised spider. The other person known for sporting this eccentric symbol of deceit, patience, femininity and strength, is Cédric Villani, Fields Medallist, iconoclast and almost always the smartest person in the room. Brenda Hale has, since she was at Cambridge in the 1960s, usually been the smartest person in the room as well. What could be clearer, folks? You'd better dust off your Spiderman costume. When They come for the unbelievers, you want to be sure They know you are on the side of reason.
posted by BobTheScientist at 9:23 AM on December 9, 2021 [1 favorite]

Pins! Weapons for a more civilized age.
posted by Going To Maine at 10:06 AM on December 9, 2021 [1 favorite]

Pins! Weapons for a more civilized age.

"What's the point of having this superb military you're always talking about if we can't use it?"
posted by BWA at 10:44 AM on December 9, 2021 [4 favorites]

Looking at the pins, and also considering the Britisch queen's pins, in some vague manner brings to mind the Culture. Although i cannot recall right now if brooches play any role, sending messages through brooches seems such a Culture thing to do. I wish Banks was still around to gift us another book.
posted by 15L06 at 1:18 PM on December 9, 2021 [1 favorite]

wow that is a really annoying web site
posted by supermedusa at 1:56 PM on December 9, 2021

I would love to look at this, but dear god, sometimes the stuff they put into websites is too much to view. Seconded, supermedusa.
posted by jenfullmoon at 2:32 PM on December 9, 2021

The site works really well on a phone - try narrowing your browser to make the responsive layout switch to mobile.

Politics aside, that is a great collection and I wish I had a job where I could wear brooches. Mine would probably be a sleeping cat though.
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 4:38 PM on December 9, 2021

"That's right Franklin, Spinach is Spinach."
posted by clavdivs at 4:39 PM on December 9, 2021

I'm browsing thru like it's brand new, thanks to my spotty memory, even though I distinctly recalled visiting the collection in person. But i was much younger then and this was my first introduction to fashion as a political statement from figures not categorised as fashion icons. I don't think i thought much of it at the time, i didn't have enough knowledge to hook the items i saw as interesting in my mind.
posted by cendawanita at 7:35 PM on December 9, 2021

Another reason I miss Woolworth’s. They had a huge table of neat costume-jewelry pins. Spending time browsing through the huge variety of designs, and almost always buying one for a dollar or two, was a must-do on every visit.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 8:30 PM on December 9, 2021 [1 favorite]

Oh, neat! I actually had the opportunity to see this exhibit in person a few years ago (ironically enough at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library). It was great and I'd recommend seeing it in person if you have the opportunity. It did a great job contextualizing the pins against a large timeline of world events.

I think I remember reading in the exhibit that it was A Thing in certain delicate negotiations for the negotiators to signal things to each other with tie colors. Albright made the decision fairly early on in her career to use pins instead. Very cool.
posted by Kadin2048 at 8:47 PM on December 9, 2021