Evening Lecture with Guest Curator Abby Schwartz
Courtesy of Hebrew Union College
Abby Schwartz
Submitted by Hebrew Union College
The Skirball Museum of Hebrew Union College (HUC) is pleased to present a lecture and exhibition walkthrough of the Skirball Museum’s current exhibition: “The Collars of RBG: Photographs of Elinor Carucci” with guest curator, Abby Schwartz on Tuesday, December 2, 2025, at 7 p.m. in Mayerson Hall on Cincinnati’s HUC campus.
Schwartz, who is the former director and curator of the Cincinnati Skirball Museum, will speak on “Symbol, Beauty, and Function in the Collars of RBG.” The late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (1933-2020) was known for the distinctive neckpieces she wore over her judicial robes. Each one, whether bold, ornate or subversive, is a powerful point of entry for exploring Justice Ginsburg’s life and her tireless work on America’s highest court. The stories behind these collars honor the lives she touched, the freedoms she defended and the Supreme Court opinions that changed the course of history.
A month after the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (1933-2020) Israeli-American photographer Elinor Carucci (b. 1971) was hired by “Time” magazine to photograph the collars of RBG as a commemorative piece. The twenty-five photographs in the exhibition offer insight into RBG’s legacy. They are accompanied by a selection of jewelry and amulets from the collection of the Skirball Museum. Like the collars, these objects of material culture explore the societal and religious aspects of adornment throughout history. In her illustrated talk, Schwartz will discuss both the RBG collars and the jewelry and amulets as reflections of symbol, function and beauty.
The exhibition at the Skirball Museum continues through February 9, 2026. For further information, please contact the Skirball Museum of Hebrew Union College or visit the Skirball Museum website.
