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.

This TRC blog was written by Catherine Nesmith, an educator and project manager based in Canada. She holds a PhD in Geography from Cambridge University, and is currently doing a Master's degree in Museum Education at the University of British Columbia. Textiles are a passion. She attended a workshop at the TRC in February 2025.

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Textiles are an element of many museum collections. They represent the materiality of humanity and offer a window into understanding different cultures. This paper will address two areas of best practice for the effective use of textiles in museum education.

Fig. 1. A colourful panel of handmade mola embroidery depicting two birds holding a fish in their talons on a red background. Panama, late 20th century (TRC 2021.1910).

The first section argues that textiles can be an important cultural bridge and a key element in building collaboration between museums and communities, while supporting institutional decolonization goals. The second section focuses on object-based learning as a teaching pedagogy for textiles, recognizing the value of haptic learning, and the importance of incorporating reflective practice, and scaffolding. The paper concludes with a look at future directions and implications for museum education.

The TRC is starting a series of blogs with the title Collection Highlights. For this week, we are featuring a late 18th-century chintz ensemble (TRC 2007.0731a and TRC 2007.0731b). The outfit in is two parts; a bodice and a skirt. The fabric is made out of a white cloth with a block-printed and hand-painted design of flowers, leaves and butterflies in red, blue and brown.

 Skirt section of a woman's dress. The Netherlands, 18th century. Remodelled in the 1930s TRC 2007.0731a)

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The TRC has just received its first Roman fibulae! It is a gift from Sytske Wijnsma in Wormer, who has also donated in the past a large collection of books, textiles and clothing. These bronze fastenings were typically used for securing a variety of outfits and later transitioned into the more decorative brooch. Many cultures used similar fastenings, before and after the Romans. However, Roman fibulae are the most famous.

Fig. 1. Roman-period, 'trumpet'-type bronze fibula (TRC 2025.0464).A variety of shapes and decorations were used to signal various social factors, such as profession, military rank or marital status. The donation consists of three fibulae, each at first glance very similar but with a little research and a closer look during the cataloguing process I realised that they are very different from one another.

Still, all three are bronze, bow fibulae (as opposed to plate and penannular types). Note that the terminology is not standardised, and below I refer mostly to terms used in the NumisWiki website, which is a useful source regarding terminology and typology. The context of these finds is unclear, but by assigning them a particular typology and time period they are useful for archaeological references.

Fig. 1. The first fibula (TRC 2025.0464) matches descriptions of a ‘trumpet’ typology which dates to 75-175 AD, the earliest of the three. These are distinguished by their wide spring pin, high arch and flared base.

Shelves in the TRC Library.At the moment I am writing this, we have a library at TRC consisting of 6282 books. This is not including the books from new donations that have come in and are yet to be registered, or the immense magazine collection we still have in the depot; we are getting these ready to be registered.

Since December 2022 I have been the librarian of the Textile Research Centre. My main focus has since then been to get through the backlog of the hundreds of books that are donated yearly.

Every Monday I spend most of my time cataloguing new books and placing them in the library. In 2024 I have managed to get through most of the backlog and started putting away the newer donations. In 2024 this amounted to some 1200 books.

Besides registering the backlog and new books, I have also spent my time in 2024 on researching how to restore books, mainly torn pages or loosened spines. The reason for this is that during the course of 2024, we have received a considerable number of books from the mid- and late 1800s. Most have been in excellent state, but some have seen their fair amount of use. Since it’s unlikely that we will receive duplicates of these books.

Another ‘quiet’ week at the TRC Leiden! We have been involved in giving the 5-day Intensive Textile Course, which as many of you will know, is a basic and yes, intense, introduction to textiles.

In just a short time, a wide variety of subjects are discussed and actually practised, ranging from fibre identification to what is embroidery via weaving (including velvet making), not to mention natural dyeing, resist-dyeing, leather and printing….. a tiring week but fun to be immersed in textiles for a short period of time.

Fig. 1. Sample of Siberian, woolly mammoth hair (Mammuthus primigenius) (TRC 2023.1510).The course wants to help people to understand and be able to ‘read’ a textile and its practical, social, economic and cultural significances. For a participant's impression of the December 2024 version, click here.

This week’s course participants included museum curators, academics, commercial world people, students, as well as people who are ‘simply’ interested in textiles. It was noticeable that they all ended up at the café around the corner, some with a beer, celebrating the week (or was it their survival?) and making new textile friends.

A highlight moment? It must be when we discussed a sample of Siberian mammoth hair from the TRC collection (Fig. 1). The fibres had been analysed, DNA’ed and dated by the National Forensic Institute in a joint project with the TRC.

The TRC Board has recently approved the Annual Report for 2024. We are very pleased to present an overview of what happened in the last year and in particular to highlight all the TRC blogs that were published and represent the diverse nature of all the many activities that take place at the Hogewoerd 164.

Detail of an embroidered top for a Ukrainian woman, early 21st century. Acquired in 2024 (TRC 2025.0149).

Many changes have taken place and many more are due to take place. it is clear from the report that we may be small space wise, but we are big in activities and in our support of textile and dress studies in all their myriad of different forms.

The TRC Annual Report 2024 can be accessed here.