Last Thursday (28th September 2023) the TRC’s latest exhibition was officially opened. Gillian Vogelsang (director) welcomed everyone and was followed by the curator, Augusta de Gunzbourg. She explained the ideas behind the exhibition and how it was built up and added extra details about various outfits and garments.
Yvonne van Delft (left), wethouder Cultuur Gemeente Leiden, and Augusta de Gunzbourg (right), curator of the exhibition. Photograph by Maria Linkogle.
Augusta de Gunzbourg tells about 1920s fashion. Photograph by Maria Linkogle.
Opening of the Head To Toe exhibition at the TRC. Photograph by Maria Linkogle.
Opening of the Head To Toe exhibition at the TRC. Photograph by Maria Linkogle.
Opening of the Head To Toe exhibition at the TRC. Photograph by Maria Linkogle.
Yvonne van Delft, wethouder Culture, Leiden Council, officially opened the exhibition and in her speech referred to the importance of textiles and dress to the history of Leiden, both socially and economically.
Opening of the exhibition From Head To Toe. Photograph by Maria Linkogle.The official element was followed by Augusta giving a general tour of the exhibition and highlighted specific aspects, such as the change in women’s body shape - with the emphasis moving from the waist to the hips, a wider range of materials becoming available and many women in general becoming freer with more personal money.
Over seventy items are on display and range from complete outfits, daily wear, afternoon tea dresses to evening wear (plus accessories such as necklaces, headwear, short capes and beaded bags), and a wide range of hats. There are also 1920’s sports items, including swimwear, tennis dress and a ski outfit complete with 1920’s wooden skis.
Items of underwear are also included, including bras, stockings and slips, sewing equipment, and a selection of 1920’s printed textiles. Most of these items form part of the TRC’s extensive collection of over 43,000 items of textiles, dress and accessories.
1920s garments at the exhibition From Head To Toe, TRC Leiden. Photograph by Gillian Vogelsang.On Saturday I appeared on Radio Sleutelstad, the local radio station, to talk about the work of the TRC and the exhibition in particular. A link to the interview will be made available shortly. On a more personal note I would like to thank everyone for their help in creating the exhibition, especially Augusta de Gunzbourg and Héloïse Bellouard (TRC staff), as well as Els Bonte, for her suggestions and donations (from necklaces to wooden skiis!).
Some practical details
The exhibition can be seen from Mondays to Thursdays, from 10.00 until 15.00. The 1920’s from Head to Toe exhibition will be open until mid-February and then it will become available to travel to other museums and similar venues.
See also previous blogs about the exhibition:
- The 1920s from head to toe: Fashion from 100 years ago
- 1920s printed silk samples
- New TRC exhibition: The 1920s from head to toe
- The story of a donation from the 1920s Dutch East Indies
- An Italian wedding dress from the 1920's
Gillian Vogelsang-Eastwood, 1 October 2023
