Madeleine Albright's Collection of Brooches on Exhibit at the Smithsonian Castle

View the extrordinarily impressive exhibit titled: "Read My Pins: The Madeleine Albright Collection." There are 300 pins on display at the Smithsonian Castle worn by the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations (1993-97) and U.S. secretary of state (1997-2001).

The pins are grouped by theme in 19 glass cases: flowers, bugs, flags, animals, etc. Highlights in the collection include "glass shards" to signify the glass ceiling Albright broke through to become the first female secretary of state, "an angel" commemorating the victims of bombings at U.S. embassies in Africa in 1998, and "a bee" that Albright wore to Middle East peace negotiations. Another brooch of note includes one that incorporates a piece of the Berlin Wall.

There is no doubt that there is the power of a pin, but it's not always easy to determine what each pin means. Messages can indeed lie within a brooch. In a recent article, Albright points out that "without intending it, I found that jewlry had become part of my personal diplomatic arsenal. Former President George H.W. Bush had been known for saying 'Read my lips.' I began urging colleagues and reporters to 'Read my pins.'" It's noted that Albright's pin's often served as conversation starters as well as bridge builders.

For more information about the exhibit, visit www.si.edu/exhibitions/read-my-pins. The Collection of Brooches are on display through October 11, 2010. Albright also has an accompanying book named "Read My Pins: Stories From a Diplomat's Jewel Box."