Cover of a 1944 women's magazine, called Stella, published in Doetinchem (TRC 2020.5174).Last week the COVID-19 crisis led to a semi-lockdown of the Netherlands, at least until 19th January. This means that we have had to shut the TRC for visitors for much of the rest of December and early January. It does not mean that we stop with our work. The TRC staff and its many volunteers and student interns will continue with a plethora of activities, as we partially also discussed in a blog of yesterday. In the days and weeks to come, we would like to keep you informed about what we are doing:

The TRC Leiden has just extended its exhibition called Textile Tales from the Second World War until Thursday, the 4th February 2021. This means, despite the TRC being currently shut due to the lockdown, that you still have a chance to see the exhibition from the 20th January to the 4th February 2021. But please be aware, as it stands now you probably will have to announce your visit in advance!

In the meantime, we have recently received several donations that are related to the theme of the war, textiles and dress. Some of these pieces will be added to the actual and to the online exhibition on the same theme. We have been given, for example, by Esther van der Valk, some rare examples of women's fashion magazines from the period. These include one from the summer of 1940 that was in Dutch (TRC 2020.5173), one from the summer of 1944, in Dutch and German (TRC 2020.5174) and two from just after the war (1946/7 and 1948, TRC 2020.5171 and TRC 2020.5172 respectively), which were both in Dutch and French and produced in Belgium and the Netherlands..

Badge of Operation Manna (1995), celebrating the 50th anniversary of the airdrops over Holland in early 1945 (TRC 2020.5152f).The magazines belonged to her grandmother, who had carefully kept them since the 1940's. We are going to scan these magazines and put them online as they provide a fascinating insight into clothing trends at the time. It is clear that sometimes the images bear no relationship to actuality, either in the women's silhouette or in the acute shortage of textiles associated with the period. Were these images more about escapism than reality?

Another group of items were given by Kees van de Zwan, who not long ago kindly gave the TRC a textile associated with the French emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte (download here). His more recent donation was the Dutch army reservist uniform that he actually wore when he conducted groups of veteran Allied airmen around the Netherlands in 1995 (TRC 2020.5149a-f). This was done as part of the national celebrations associated with the 50th anniversary of the end of the Second World War and more specifically of Operation Chowhound and Operation Manna (29 April - 8 May 1945), which included airdrops of food to help alleviate the consequences of the Hunger Winter of 1944/5.

It was often said that, unlike the (land based) soldiers, it had never been really possible to directly thank the aircrews who brought food to the many who were starving in the Netherlands. In 1995 Kees had the privilege of escorting veteran airmen around the Netherlands, so that 'ordinary’ people could meet them and share stories.

Among the group of items donated by Kees were some ties and patches associated with the two operations, namely an Operation Chowhound tie (TRC 2020.5151), an Operation Manna badge (TRC 2020.5152f), an Operation Chowhound patch (TRC 2020.5152a), an Operation Manna patch (TRC 2020.5152b), as well as a number of medals presented to the volunteers.

In addition, Kees also donated a cyclist's jumper (TRC 2020.5147a), a water bottle (TRC 2020.5147b) and a black cap (TRC 2020.5148), which celebrate the Freedom Ride of 5th May 2019, which took place in honour of the 74th anniversary of the end of the war.

Finally, Kees also gave four different buttons that were removed from American clothing sent to the Netherlands in 1945. The buttons were given to Kees van der Zwan by Ms. Beelaerts van Blokland (the same patrician family in whose house was found the alleged fragment of Napoleon's pall, see above).

We have also been offered a wedding dress worn in 1945, plus a photograph of the bride in the dress. But sadly the lockdown has meant we will have to wait a little while before adding it to the collection and the (digital) exhibition. As soon as we welcome the dress to the TRC, we will tell you.

Gillian Vogelsang, Friday 18 December 2020.