Yesterday, Friday 20th March, the rental contract for Boerhaavelaan 6 was signed between the owners, the Stichting Monumentenbezit, and the TRC! This may be one small step for mankind, but it is one large step for TRC’s plans for becoming the international hub for textile and dress studies and for making Leiden into the ‘City of Textile Knowledge’ a reality! 

Photograph, from left to right: Mark van den Bos, Director Monumentenbezit, Dr. Gillian Vogelsang-Eastwood, Director TRC and Prof. Bas ter Haar Romeny, Chair of the TRC Board.

An extensive programme of research, events, and textile outreach is being organised for this year and indeed for the years to come. And the signing of the contract is a very significant moment for us all.

The new premises of the TRC, from the back garden.Robert Spiegelman is an American friend of the TRC who has been visiting Leiden and the TRC for some years, and has been supporting our work in many ways.  Here is his personal appeal:

I am a huge, and hugely unlikely supporter of the TRC.

Let me explain. I am an American who loves Leiden and spends more than a tenth of my time there every year. A few years back, my curiosity was peaked. I had read about the TRC and while cycling by I met Gillian. It was truly inspirational. She gave me a tour, told me about their work, explained the plan/intention to go from an “academic volunteer run knowledge center” in a nondescript street front location to become everything it could be, a fully professionally run organization and an internationally recognized expert and leader. The dedicated group has done an amazing job.

I was impressed and immediately began making contributions to keep the lights on.

Why do I say “unlikely?” While I love Leiden, it is not my home. I have no interest in fashion and while I suppose textiles and textile history are important, neither was an interest of mine. What impressed me was the importance of the work that was being done, the idea that textiles, fashion, and the textile trade could be used to trace changes in civilization worldwide for several centuries. The parallels are fascinating.

Today, Friday 16th January, we finished the first stage of the TRC move to other premises. We started off today with a traditional meal prepared by Herra, our Indonesian volunteer. The meal included rice, salt and boiled eggs. Such food, accompanied with shrimps, is associated with the blessings for a move and good luck with all that will happen in the future. How appropriate. And how kind of her to prepare and bring the meal. 

For three days the removal people have been busy loading the c. 4,000 boxes of the textiles and dress collection, plus furniture and whatever else that has to be shifted, into twelve containers. These will be stored and be taken to the Boerhaavelaan in Leiden in early March.

The removal team and TRC staff posing in front of the rapidly emptying former premises of the TRC along the Hogewoerd.

The last few days were very exciting, and the removal lads were absolutely great. They worked very hard, perhaps stimulated by the coffee and biscuits that we provided. We are looking forward to seeing them during the second stage of the move, and we are sure that they won't mind helping us again.

Indonesian meal, prepared by one of the TRC volunteers, to guarantee good fortune with the move. Friday morning, 16th January.

It is very empty!

 The last act: Removing the TRC sign board. We will stick it up in the new building.

De komende weken, tot half februari 2026, zijn we druk bezig met de (zo voelt het tenminste) gigantische verhuizing van het TRC (en de collectie!) van de Hogewoerd naar ons nieuwe pand aan de Boerhaavelaan (nr. 6), vlak achter het Centraal Station Leiden.

Maar na de verhuizing staat de laatste week van februari alweer in het teken van de volgende editie van de befaamde TRC Vijfdaagse Intensieve Textielcursus.

Voor de zes maanden daarna hebben we een vol programma samengesteld met workshops, lezingen en cursussen. Kom gerust langs en neem deel aan onze activiteiten, en neem tegelijkertijd een kijkje in ons nieuwe onderkomen. Het activiteitenprogramma kunt u hier bekijken en/of downloaden. Meld u aan voor een of meerdere evenementen en houd de agenda in de gaten. We plannen nog veel meer activiteiten!

The new premises of the Textile Research Centre, as seen from the garden.(Leiden, 1 Nov. 2025) We are seeking a highly motivated and well-connected individual to drive the strategic growth and long-term sustainability of the TRC. With your expertise and vision, you will help us professionalise, strengthen and seize new opportunities. The ideal candidate has a strong background in fundraising, strategic planning, and stakeholder engagement. 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Strategic Planning and Development

• Collaborate with the director of the TRC and the TRC Board to define the long-term strategic direction of the centre.
• Develop workable plans to increase the TRC’s visibility, reach, recognition and impact.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of the marketing and communication strategy.

(Leiden, 6 Nov. 2025) Kirkus Review is a book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus. The publisher, Kirkus Media, has its headquarters in New York. Its online version has just published a review of Gillian Vogelsang-Eastwood's latest book: The Atlas of World Embroidery. A Global exploration of Heritage and Styles and awarded it with the coveted 'star'. For more information about the book, see an earlier blog.

The review can be read and downloaded here. The Atlas will be published by Princeton University Press on 17 February 2026. A Dutch version will be published at the same time by WBooks. A book launch of both the English and Dutch versions will take place on Friday, 20 February 2026, in the new 'home' of the TRC at the Boerhaavelaan 6, Leiden.

(Leiden, 5 Nov. 2025) The Stichting (Foundation) Monumentenbezit, the owner of Boerhaavelaan 6 where the TRC soon hopes to find a new home, has published an article about the building, its history and its architectural jewels, but also about the new occupants of the building, namely the TRC. You can read or download the article, which contains a number of beautiful photographs, here.

Boerhaavelaan 6 Leiden

Princeton University Press has just announced the upcoming publication (Febr. 2026)  of The Atlas of World Embroidery: A Global Exploration of Heritage and Styles. The book was written by Gillian Vogelsang-Eastwood, director of the TRC, and uses a large number of textiles housed in the TRC Collection.

The book is described in the announcement as "A richly illustrated history of embroidery and needlework, showcasing the glorious range of styles, motifs, and materials used around the world."

"Embroidery is one of the world’s most widely shared forms of creative expression—and one of its most varied and diverse. It can be found in every region, yet its visual languages, themes, and techniques vary greatly: some are marked by unique styles and others show influences from neighboring cultures. The Atlas of World Embroidery examines many distinctive embroidery styles and traditions found across the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australasia."

"From the quillwork and birch boxes of Indigenous North America to the decorative matyo style of Hungary, the zardozi embroiderers of India, and the satin stitches of Han Dynasty China, Gillian Vogelsang-Eastwood provides a comprehensive history of embroidery, describing its materials and tools, its designs and symbols, and its uses and makers. Emphasizing the visual aspects of embroidery across cultures, the atlas features an unprecedented array of color images celebrating the art form."