What is the Textile Conservation Centre?

The Textile Conservation Centre (TCC) is a leading international centre for the education of textile conservators and for research into textile conservation. It also offers postgraduate and postdoctoral research opportunities in Museum Studies and Material Culture. The Centre also provides a comprehensive textile conservation service.

The Centre is unique in combining:

conservation
consultancy
professional training in Textile Conservation and Museum Studies
and
research and development

From 1975 to 1999 the Textile Conservation Centre was based at Hampton Court Palace. It has been instrumental in establishing and developing the profession and techniques of textile conservation, offering a world-renowned postgraduate education in the subject. Over 200 people have studied at the Centre and they now work in museums and heritage institutions around the world.

The large team of trained and experienced professional conservators in the Centre's Conservation Services section has surveyed, researched and conserved thousands of textiles of many different types and origins. These have included costumes, accessories and other items which may be found concealed. The design and production of display forms and storage systems to help protect vulnerable textiles is a speciality.

A medieval hat (14th century) found concealed in the buttresses of the church tower at Little Sampford, Essex in 1908. It was brought to the Textile Conservation Centre to be conserved in 1979/80 by by Saffron Walden Museum. It is now on display at Saffron Walden Museum, Essex with a replica.

The Centre merged with the University of Southampton in August 1998 and is now part of the Faculty of Arts. In August 1999 the Centre moved from Hampton Court Palace to a purpose-designed building on the Winchester Campus of the University. The Textile Conservation Centre's new building was officially opened by the Centre's Patron HRH The Princess Royal, on 3 November 1999.

The Textile Conservation Centre recently secured a major grant from the Arts and Humanities Research Board (AHRB) to establish the AHRB Research Centre for Textile Conservation and Textile Studies (2002-7). This Research Centre will be an integral part of the TCC and Dinah Eastop (Senior Lecturer, TCC) will be its Director. For more information about the Research Centre please contact the TCC on [email protected]

What is the Deliberately Concealed Garments Project?

More information about the Textile Conservation Centre

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Last updated: 13 August, 2002