Blog

Embroidered postcard from France, early 20th century (TRC 2015.0435).Exactly thirty years ago, on 19th December 1991, the Textile Research Centre (TRC), Leiden, was officially established as a Stichting (Foundation) under Dutch law.

We had planned to have a party since we felt that this significant milestone should be noted and celebrated, but due to the corona crisis, this has had to be postponed.

From the beginning the TRC has been an educational centre with an emphasis on the passing on of knowledge about textile techniques and the concept of dress identity. Throughout the years we have stressed the importance of textile crafts and artisanship. We have also been involved with many different cultures and groups. Our extensive collection (now some 37,000 objects, most of which are accessible online) from around the world and from all ages is continually used in the many workshops and courses that the TRC is organising. Textiles should not only be seen, but also be touched, smelled and even listened to!

Box of (badly printed) handkerchiefs, folded in a decorative manner. The Netherlands, 20th century. One of the handkerchiefs has the text 'Assepoester' (Cinderella) (TRC 2021.3393).On Wednesday 10th November I gave an online talk about European ‘Handkerchiefs as tokens’ for Selvedge, the London based textile magazine. It’s a subject I am interested in, but never had the time to go into in any depth. While preparing the talk I remember thinking that we only had a relatively small collection of late 19th and 20th century handkerchiefs at the TRC and I really wanted to know more about their full history, variations and indeed, even how many different ways are there to fold handkerchiefs?

I should not have expressed such thoughts! We have just been given a large shopping bag full of handkerchiefs, more than 150, many of them in their original boxes (for example, TRC 2021.3394), and yes, folded in a variety of different ways, for both display purposes and practical use.

The handkerchiefs range in date from about 1900 to the 1960s. The donation includes handkerchiefs that had been used, as well as others that seem to be purchasing models (with numbers for re-ordering), as well as general shop stock including several of the same type. Not to mention, of course, a range of identically decorated handkerchiefs, but in different colour ways.

The Rijnland lace cap TRC 2021.2446 is a small cap with a handmade bobbin lace flounce in a bad condition. This type of lace is the only type of bobbin lace traditionally made in the Netherlands. It was worked in the village of 's-Gravenmoer in the province of Noord-Brabant, north of the Belgian port of Antwerp.

Woman's cap from the Rijnland with 's-Gravenmoer bobbin lace, 1920s-1940s (TRC 2021.2446).

Embroidered Palestinian dress which is made up of at least four different garments, probably for the tourist market, second half 20th century (TRC 2021.3351).The TRC has just been given various pieces of Palestinian embroidery. They were donated by Ms Truus Oranje, Weesp, the Netherlands, who lived in Jerusalem between 1975 and 1985. She regularly went to various markets in the region and bought, among other items, embroidered pieces and several garments. Mw Oranje’s donation consists of  two embroidered dresses (TRC 2021.3350 and TRC 2021.3351), parts of another dress (TRC 2021.3349a-d) and a black velvet jacket (TRC 2021.3352).

One of the dresses (TRC 2021.3351) is a bit of a mixture and has an interesting history concerning the re-use of garments. One closer examination it turns out to have been made from at least four other dresses. The sleeves are from one garment, the bodice panel from a second, while the lower front panel from a third dress and finally, the side panels and back panel come from yet another dress!

I was introduced to the TRC about a month ago when one of my professors at Leiden University sent out an email about an internship opportunity at a local textile centre. I am 22 years old, born and raised in British Columbia, Canada, and prior to August 2020 I had never set foot in Europe. I have always been interested in historical fashion and textiles, so you can imagine when I saw an opportunity to work with a large collection of textiles from all around the world, I scrambled to reach out and get in contact!

Embroidered mocassins produced and worn by Canadian Inuit, late 20th century (TRC 2009.0261a-b).

The Lodewijkskerk in Leiden used to be the centre ('saai-hal') for the trade in saai cloth.The historic city of Leiden has long been known for the production of various types of woollen and worsted textiles, including laken (broadcloth), baai (baize), saai (combed wool), satin, grein (goat or sheep's hair/wool worsted cloth) and serge (twill), as well as soft fluffy blankets (deken).

Not so surprising therefore that the TRC in Leiden is actively working with Dutch textile and costume historian Jankees Goud (Atelier Dracht), Frank Gardiner (Amsterdam) and others to expand its reference collection of textiles that reflects these technical types and forms (always of interest to the TRC) and the textile history of Leiden in general.

This reference collection will eventually cover the wide range of textile types (woven, printed, embroidered, laces, etc) associated with Dutch regional dress. It will also 'underpin' a TRC research project into the Leiden textile production throughout the centuries, with a special emphasis on technical aspects, such as the fibres, their spin, the weaving, the dyes, further processing, etc.

I came across a curious piece of press photography when exploring the TRC’s online archive. The image shows five German prisoners of war from the First World War participating in a spot of needlework whilst a crowd of spectators, also POWs, gather around in fascination, peering over each other’s shoulders to watch the exercise.

'The treatment of German wounded: Exercising the muscles of the arms by means of embroidery.' The Manchester Guardian 1915. (TRC 2021.1342).

This lovely cloth, TRC 2021.2068, was recently acquired by the TRC in Leiden. It came with a label: ‘19th- Cyprus – Italian influence’. Research in books and on the internet helped me to find more background information.

Ill. 1. Tasseled short edge of Lefkara lace cloth from Cyprus, 19th century (TRC 2021.2068). In the centre is the insert between the two lengths that make up the complete cloth