July 11 to September 27, 2015
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The Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum presents Read My Pins: The Madeleine Albright Collection, an exhibition of over 200 pins and brooches from the collection of former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. The exhibition will be on display from July 11 to September 27, 2015 in the Library’s Hall Gallery. The exhibition showcases distinctive jewelry worn by Secretary Albright to communicate a message during her diplomatic tenure. In 1997, Madeleine K. Albright was named the first female Secretary of State and became, at the time, the highest ranking woman in the history of the U.S. government. While serving under President Bill Clinton, first as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, and then as Secretary of State, Albright became known for wearing brooches that purposefully conveyed her views about the situation at hand. “I found that jewelry had become part of my personal diplomatic arsenal,” Secretary Albright has said. “While President George H.W. Bush had been known for saying ‘Read my lips,’ I began urging colleagues and reporters to ‘Read my pins.'"
This exhibit was originally organized by the Museum of Arts and Design. Generous support for this exhibition has been provided by Bren Simon and for the exhibition catalogue by St. John Knits.
To learn more about former Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright click here
Visit our YouTube page to view Secretary Albright's Conversation with Library Director Michael Ellzey
click here
About the photo:
Serpent, circa 1860
Designer unknown
Photography: John Bigelow Taylor
About the pin:
Madeleine Albright's use of pins as a diplomatic tool began when Saddam Hussein's newspaper in Baghdad printed a poem calling her an "unparalleled serpent", and she wore a snake pin the next time she met with Iraqi officials at the United Nations.
Location: Hall Gallery