Little Books, Big Gifts: The Artistry of Esther Inglis
A special exhibition at the Folger
Booking and details
Plan your visitDates Fri, Oct 25, 2024 – Sun, Jan 19, 2025
Venue Stuart and Mimi Rose Rare Book and Manuscript Exhibition Hall
Tickets Free; timed-entry pass recommended
Esther Inglis (1570?—1624) was a professional-class Franco-Scottish refugee, a working mother of eight, and a contemporary of Shakespeare. Earning her living by her pen, she combined her artistic skills and her religious beliefs to create over 60 miniature handwritten and hand-illustrated books. She strategically gifted these books to dozens of prominent European Protestants during a period of religious turmoil. 400 years after her death, this exhibition explores Esther’s life and work as an early modern influencer and as the first woman in Britain to preface her works with selfies.
Ashley Buchanan, Heather Wolfe, and Georgianna Ziegler, curators