Albright's Pins Give Unique Perspective Of History And Politics

DENVER (CBS4)- There's an exhibit at the Denver Art Museum that offers a unique perspective of history and politics.

"Read My Pins: The Madeleine Albright Collection" showcases the former Secretary of State's jewelry collection that she used to communicate a message or a mood during her diplomatic tenure.

The stories behind the pins have been published in her book "Read My Pins."

"None of this would have happened if it hadn't been for Saddam Hussein," said Albright when she recently spoke with CBS4's Gloria Neal.

The deceased Iraqi dictator wasn't a fan of Albright who didn't bite her tongue when it came to telling it like it is.

"One of your colleagues zeroed in on it. Why are you wearing that snake pin? Because Saddam Hussein called me an unparalleled serpent," said Albright. "That's how it all began."

She said she happened to have a snake pin and since she was the only woman on the United Nations Security Council, she started wearing her snake pin whenever she talked about Saddam.

"My instructions were to say perfectly terrible things about Saddam Hussein constantly," said Albright. "He deserved it. He had invaded Kuwait."

World leaders began to read her pins to know what kind of reception to expect from Alright. She wore flower and bird pins if it was a good day. She wore spider and snake pins if she anticipated a bad day and she wore crab pins when she was dealing with crabby old men.

"I thought it was fun and I went out and decided that I'd buy a lot of costume jewelry to reflect what I thought was going to happen on any given day," said Albright.

The museum is especially excited because Albright grew up in Denver.

"Read My Pins: The Madeleine Albright Collection" opens Sunday and continues through June 17 at the Denver Art Museum.

LINK: Denver Art Museum

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