Rabbit Goody has extensive experience working as a consultant to museums. Services offered include dating and identifying textiles in specific collections; making recommendations about exhibits, storage, and conservation; helping museum staff to develop appropriate and workable furnishing plans that include historically accurate soft furnishings, from carpet to loose covers to window treatments; and developing plans for textile rotation. Ms. Goody has worked with many living history sites to coordinate the use of historically accurate reproductions with original items in the museum's collections
Rabbit Goody is a nationally recognized textile historian who has served as a consultant to major museums, private collections, and the film industry. Her reproduction fabrics appear in many movies, including Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Master and Commander, Amistad, The Titanic, Cinderella Man, Polar Express, The Prestige, Transformers, and the new Indiana Jones movie
She owns, directs, and is the designer for Thistle Hill Weavers, a custom mill that has been producing historically accurate reproduction fabrics, trim, and carpet for 20 years. She advises designers, private home owners, museum professionals, and site managers about window treatments, bed hangings, carpet, upholstery, and other soft furnishings appropriate for period installations. She lectures widely and teaches classes on historic textiles. She directs the Textile History Forum, a national conference devoted to new research and developments in textile history. Her publications include Woven History: Techology and Innovation in Long Island Coverlets; articles for Early American Life, Old House Interiors, The Clarion, Heritage, and other publications; and the forthcoming Woven Textiles 1640-1850: A Reference Guide for Identifying and Dating Everyday Fabrics.
Rabbit Goody is available to travel to your site Depending on the services desired, there is an hourly, a per diem, or a project fee. Please contact us for details.
You can see the work of Rabbit Goody's Thistle Hill Weavers at many historic sites around the country, including George Washington's Mount Vernon; Thomas Jefferson's Monticello; The Henry Ford Museum; Harper's Ferry National Park, Harper's Ferry West Virginia; Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens, Akron, Ohio; Rock Hall, Lawrence, NY; The Farmers' Museum, Cooperstown, NY; Martin Van Buren's home in Kinderhook, NY; and Valley Forge National Historic Park, Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.