Embodied History: Reproducing the Embroidery of Esther Inglis

Esther Inglis was a fascinating 16th century calligrapher, miniaturist, and painter who created at least seventeen books covered with embroidered bindings. Inglis’s needlework was fundamentally different from contemporary needle workers in both her technique and design. 

In 2024, we were commissioned by the Folger Shakespeare Library to reproduce one of Inglis’s embroidered bindings. Throughout the year we researched, experimented with pattern transfers, sourced materials, and worked two copies of this book cover as part of an experimental archaeology project. In this lecture, we share our experiences with Esther Inglis’s needlework, as well as the challenges and discoveries of reproducing a piece of historical embroidery. We hope you can join us!

And if you can’t make this date, we will be recording this lecture and which ticket holders can view afterwards.