Whitney Rakich is a writing tutor at Yale University.
Latest by this author
Ostrich feathers once drove global fashion and trade, revealing the origins of sustainable practices and ethical awareness in the plume industry.
More about this author
Whitney Rakich, PhD, is a fellow and writing tutor at Yale University. She holds a PhD in American Studies from the University of New Mexico and writes about material culture, history, craft, and the intersections of people, technology, and the natural world.
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As Bright as a Feather
Ostriches, Home Dyeing, and the Global Plume Trade
Public Domain Review | May | 2025
The Practical Ostrich Feather Dyer (1888) is a guide that teaches people how to dye ostrich feathers in bright colors like electric blue, scarlet, and lavender. Its author, Alexander Paul, shares detailed, step-by-step methods and promises his instructions really work. At the time, ostrich feathers were extremely valuable for fashion, leading to massive hunting of birds worldwide. This book appeared just as farmers began domesticating ostriches to harvest feathers more humanely. It captures a moment when people balanced luxury, new technology, and growing concerns about protecting wildlife.
A Review of Threads of Life by Clare Hunter
Nursing Clio | January | 2020
Rakich examines how Threads of Life by Clare Hunter is a memoir and history that explores how sewing has been used to express identity, record experiences, and give voice to people often ignored. Hunter shows how textiles—from the Bayeux Tapestry to story cloths made by refugees—carry hidden stories about power, protest, loss, and survival. She highlights how needlework, often dismissed as “women’s work,” has helped communities preserve memories, challenge injustice, and communicate across generations, making ordinary stitches deeply meaningful.
Publications by this author
From Prehistory to the Future
PressBooks
Whitney Rakich presents an enjoyable and succinct overview of the history of the humanities.
