Welcome to the world of Esther Inglis, Franco-Scottish writer and artist. Interested in calligraphy, embroidery, bindings, miniatures and more? Here you’ll find a gathering of information about her life, the location of manuscripts, scholarly references, and updates on what we know about her and her work. I’ve had great fun searching out and examining over thirty of her manuscripts in ten libraries and writing about her dedications, self-portraits, and her cultural world. In this space, I want to share some of these findings with you. This will also be “Inglis-central”; a place where you can come for updated information on the locations of her manuscripts, a bibliography of printed and digital works referencing her, information on her bindings, and more. 

Come explore – send questions or new information. Most importantly, enjoy! 

This is Georgianna Ziegler – Ph.D. in medieval and Renaissance English and French lit; Thalheimer Assoc. Librarian and Head of Reference Emerita from the Folger Shakespeare Library, Washington, DC. I’ve published widely on early modern women in literature and art and curated a number of Folger exhibitions, including Elizabeth I (2003) and Shakespeare’s Sisters (2012). I’ve also written entries on Esther Inglis for the Biographical Dictionary of Scottish Women, the Routledge Encyclopedia of the Renaissance World, and the History of the Book in Scotland (forthcoming). Currently I’m writing the first book-length biography of Esther Inglis and co-curating an exhibition on her at the Folger, opening October 2024, commemorating the 400th anniversary of her death.

you can reach me at: Email or  Twitter