THE NAMEPLATE

THE NAMEPLATE is a vibrant photographic celebration of nameplate jewelry featuring deeply personal stories and rich cultural contexts, collected by the creators of the Documenting the Nameplate project.

Nameplate jewelry comes in many shapes, styles, and sizes - from simple scripted pendants to bejeweled rings, belts, and bracelets with a first, last, and/or nickname. Like so many individuals who proudly wear nameplates, Marcel Rosa-Salas and Isabel Attyah Flower were first introduced to this storied jewelry during childhood. Their love of the style gradually blossomed into a wide-reaching research project, Documenting the Nameplate, through which they've spent years collecting photographs and testimonials from nameplate-wearers across the country and world.

Their research project, Documenting the Nameplate centers the first-person narratives of people from across the United States and the world who have contributed photographs and testimonies about the significance of nameplate jewelry in their life stories and family histories. They have collaborated with many photographers and have traveled across New York City, as well as to Los Angeles, California and Houston, Texas to document nameplate jewelery's myriad cultural manifestations.

"Whether you were young or old, male, female or non-binary, poor, middle or working class, nameplates seemed to be an item that united a diverse urban populace through an accessory centered on identity."

Featuring essays and interviews from scholars and cultural figures, portraits by contemporary photographers, archival imagery, and a historical exploration into the multifaceted and often overlooked significance of nameplate jewelry, THE NAMEPLATE is a tribute to the people who make, wear, and cherish it.

Marcel Rosa-Salas is a cultural anthropologist, scholar, and documentarian from Brooklyn, New York. She is the co-host of the Top Rank podcast and co-founder of Documenting the Nameplate.

Isabel Attyah Flower is a New York City-based editor and writer. She is the editor of Deem Journal, editorial director of Foundwork, co-host of the Top Rank podcast, and co-founder of Documenting the Nameplate.