Lots of ideas have been floating around in the TRC workroom over the last few months about how to make available more research and analysis data and materials at the TRC (as briefly discussed in an earlier blog).

One of the ideas that is being enthusiastically discussed is the making of a fibre sample collection, to help with the identification of the many types of textiles in the TRC Collection (currently at about 50,000 items from around the world). But what should we include, how to organise it and indeed, how to finance it?

Students at the TRC sorting and studying fibres for the sample collection. Photograph by author.

For the last month or so we have been working on this plan with our interns and volunteers. There is now a working group plotting and planning how to organise such a plan. It is now an ‘official’ TRC project, called ‘Fibres, furs and leather’. We have already been in contact with the Netherlands Forensic Institute (NFI; The Hague) about this project and have the support and advice of Zita van Zanten, who is one of their specialists in fibres and textiles. The project also fits into our work with Leiden Council and the new slogan: “Leiden: City of Textile Knowledge”.

One of the TRC interns, Paul Cochet, for example, is very interested in leather and fur and actively looking for samples, as well as working on a blog about this subject, Meyte Van den Broeck is working on improving the TRC Database and she wants to include more fibres and information on fibres, while Emilie Lambert is fascinated by the use of a wide range of materials, especially metals, for textiles and textile related items (see an earlier blog).

They are working together to see how far the concept of ‘fibres, furs and leather’ can be pushed with respect to the TRC needs. We have sat around the workroom table discussing what can be done, what should be done, why, what are the limitations (what should be included and what should not, and does such a sample collection only reflect the TRC Collection or should it be broader), and what would be the use of such a collection for both the TRC and others? These discussions will form an important element in the internship reports that both Paul and Meyte have to write in a few months' time.

An initial list of required samples is currently being drawn up, based on the origins of the fibres:

• Animal (sheep, camel, llama, etc.)
• Arachnid and others
• Artificial
• Inorganic (glass, metal)
• Insects (silks)
• Plants (cotton, flax, banana, etc.
• Reptiles (crocodile leather, etc.)
• Synthetic

The animal fibres, for example, have been being divided according to the sub-species of a particular animal (such as Jacob sheep or Wensleydale sheep), age of the animal (lamb or fully grown sheep), top or under coat, as well as length of fibres (staple) and natural colours. I had not realised that internationally there are at least 200 different sheep breeds that are used for making textiles and related products, such as leather. That is a lot of sheep to be sourced and sampled! When just looking at sheep’s wool this could easily mean 1200 or more samples.

The students have started to look at the range of fibre samples we already have at the TRC. Anyone who has been on the TRC’s 5-day textile course will know the fibre boxes well, as they are used for making basic fibre sample collections for participants to take home!

The ‘Fibres, fur and leather’ students picked out different groups of fibres from these 'notorious' boxes, based on the above list and took small samples of about 20 grams from each of the different fibre bags and put them into separate small plastic bags, labelled them (with a running number of the TRC Catalogue), and then put the samples in separate boxes, based on the origins of the fibres.

Then will come the intriguing work of working out a list of all the potential textile fibres, furs and leathers that should be in the planned basic fibre sample collection, to make (eventually) a comprehensive collection. They will also work on the fibre sample database in the Collection using actual samples, as well as comparing sample collections published online elsewhere, how they are organised and how the TRC’s version can be arranged in a more suitable manner for our needs.

This stage of the project will take several weeks to complete. It will then be necessary to further catalogue the sample collection and start to include both Dino-lite and microscopic images (especially of scale patterns, medulla’s, granulation, etc). This will keep us all busy for several months or so!

The fibre project will give the students practical experience at designing a project, carrying it out, improving it, while at the same time having a tangible end result that will benefit the TRC.

Sheep at Leyselebeke Castle near Bruges, Belgium, waiting to be shorn. Their fleeces will soon go to the TRC! Photograph by author.

We were also joint at the workroom table by another TRC volunteer, Herra Pahlasari, who will soon be going to Indonesia for a week or so. She is going to see if she can get some typical Indonesian textile fibres. I recently went to Belgium with the vague idea of collecting some Belgian flax. Well, I came back with the offer of fleece from three different sheep breeds that roam the grounds of a castle-hotel in Bruges (we are picking up the fleeces in a month’s time, more about this future trip in due course). And a friend of ours will soon be going to Texel, one of the Dutch islands famous for its sheep….

But on a more serious note: What do we need at this particular moment? Basically we need more samples for the database of known fibres, furs and leather, etc., right now also to find out how we can improve this section of the TRC Collection. Of equal importance, we need funding. So if you know of an individual, an institute or company that would be willing to help with this project, then please get in contact. Funding is needed to buy the necessary boxes, basic samples, and indeed some more exotic forms of fibres, furs and leathers, storage, 2x microscopes, as well as acquiring relevant books for the library.

Oh yes, and a larger building would also help….

Gillian Vogelsang-Eastwood, 29 May 2025