Cover Image: The Collars of RBG

The Collars of RBG

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Member Reviews

History book AND stunning photos for the notorious RBG?! YES PLEASE! Loooooooved this - I want the physical copy so I can see the photos in alllllll their shining glory. Thank you!

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What a beautiful book. Detailed close ups of RBG’s most famed collars do not disappoint, juxtaposed against a backdrop of pictures and stories behind them and the woman that wore them. RIP, madam.

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Within the covers of The Collars of RBG is a not-to-be-missed tour of Ruth Bader Ginsberg's collar collection. . .in an arresting presentation that will be an art piece on its own wherever it sits in home, office or public display.

Authors Elinor Carucci and Sara Bader describe the genesis and execution of the project, RBG's reasons for having and wearing them - each of which had meaning specific to her daily purposes and intentions. Twenty-five of RBG's collars (jabots) are presented and addressed with the serious study and sober display accorded artifacts of Hatshepsut, Cleopatra, and Elizabeths I & II, Themselves!

Presented with their name, along with histories of significance/meaning to RBG, and the occasions on which they were usually worn, including quotes from RBG's long career that underscored her many battles, won and lost. Here are a just few: Lace, Majority, Dissent, Pegasus, Advocacy, Stiffelio, Pride, Anu and Sunrise.

The photography is truly reverential and serious, carrying throughout the book the respect and recognition the authors, nation and world has for Ruth Bader Ginsberg and her life's work.

A stunning book. Not to be missed.

*A Sincere Thank You to Elinor Carucci, Sara Bader, Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review.* #TheCollarsofRBG #NetGalley Pub date: 14 Nov 2023

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What an awesome tribute to Ruth Bader Ginsburg!! I thoroughly enjoyed reading about her various collars & jabots. Using her distinctive collars & jabots, authors Carucci & Bader covered the arc of RBG’s career & her lasting impact on our judicial system. She may have been a small, petite woman but she left an impressive mark on this country.

Thanks in NetGalley, Elinor Carucci, Sara Bader & Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Very good book on the amazing collard this trailblazing woman graced us with. The story behind the collar and when it was worn made for a great read. I truly was floored with this book. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC of this book in return for my honest review. Receiving the book in this manner had no bearing on my review.

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Pros: I loved this book about the many collars of Justice Ginsburg. The photography throughout is fantastically detailed, which was a beautiful way to view the beads, lace, and other materials that made Justice Ginsburg’s varied collars. Accompanying the photographs is information about each collar, including who made the collar (most surprisingly, Anthopologie and Banana Republic!) and where Justice Ginsburg wore the collars (weddings, SCOTUS portraits, States of the Union, oral arguments, etc). I thought the information about how Justices O’Connor and Ginsburg feminized their robes (which were made for men) with their collars and pockets was fascinating.

Cons: None!

Thank you to NetGalley and Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press for the opportunity to read this book.

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I read this while wearing my "Notorious RBG" t-shirt. Loved the pictures, stories, and quotes. What a wonderful way to honor an amazing woman.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Synopsis (from Netgalley, the provider of the book for me to review.)
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A striking portrait of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and her historic tenure on the United States Supreme Court brought to life with bold photographs and stories of her iconic collars.

The collar is a powerful point of entry for exploring Justice Ginsburg's life and her tireless work on America’s highest court. Over time, Justice Ginsburg replaced traditional lace jabots with bold, ornate and subversive collars to communicate dissent, integrity, friendship, and so much more.

The Collars of RBG highlights the stories behind twenty-five of Justice Ginsburg's iconic collars. These neckpieces, captured in over eighty photographs, represent the lives she touched, the values she defended, and historic Supreme Court opinions. Some of her collars are well-known, like her infamous dissent collar, or her favourite white beaded neckpiece from Cape Town that she wore for important portraits. Other collars are less familiar but tell poignant, never-before-shared stories of artists, colleagues, friends, and fans whose gifts to Justice Ginsburg found meaning in her hands.

Small in stature but towering in influence, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was described as a titan, a warrior, a civil rights hero, and most poetically, by her colleague Justice Stephen Breyer, "a rock of righteousness." Ginsburg's sharp use of language, a linchpin of her infamous dissents, is celebrated throughout, with quotes to support each collar and its story. The Collars of RBG is an artful collection of moments from this warrior's legacy, crystallizing the many ways RBG reshaped the cultural landscape for us all.

I always assumed that RBG’s collars meant something, and this showed me what they did and it was interesting to learn their meanings and their names. (They even sell replicas of them on Etsy and Amazon along with earrings and necklaces in the same patterns!) As someone who worked in a library with a strict dress code in the 1990s, we often wore lace collars over our allowed plain, boring, solid-coloured dresses or skirt-blouse combination as they were in style and I always likened them to RBG … not that mine had any reason behind them besides having bought them at Laura Ashley!
This is not a casual read but it is a great read: RBG is one of the most inspiring and brilliant feminist icons out there … I am DECIDEDLY NOT a feminist (Meg Walker ruined it for me) so for me to say that, it’s a big deal. (She has also been described as a humanist, a term with which I have fewer issues.) Excellently written and utterly fascinating, I will recommend this book to friends, family and patrons alike.
#shortbutsweetreviews

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This book was magnificent.

The photography was excellent, and the written portions well researched and written— it’s fundamentally a photography book, and is excellent at that. It tells both personal stories of RBG, and also the histories of the collars in question where available.

I suspect that having the two page spreads properly vs one page at a time would be even more breathtaking.

This is truly an excellent piece of work and fulfils it’s goals in a thorough manner— the only thing I would wish to change is for more of them to be present, with even more stories, as only around a dozen collars are featured.

I received an e-arc through NetGalley.

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Omg I’m seriously so happy RBG’s collars are the main theme of a whole picture/history book. I’m a lady lawyer myself and have a whole RBG shrine. It’s always neat to read about our beloved angel RBG from differing perspectives. This one is about why she wore collars in the first place, features them, and discusses what they meant to her and came to symbolize to the world. I did learn a lot from this I did not know prior. Can’t wait until this pubs so I can add it to my collection! Thank you SO MUCH to Clarkson Potter, NetGalley & the authors for the e-galley!

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What a stunning book! I read through it as soon as I was approved for it. As a female attorney, Ruth Bader Ginsburg is an inspiration. I loved her tenacity and passion for the law. This was a beautifully photographed book, along with the inspiring stories behind each collar. This would be a wonderful gift for any attorney.

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