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Discover the life of John Blanke, the Black Tudor trumpeter who served at the courts of Henry VII and Henry VIII.

John Blanke is believed to be the first person of African descent for whom we have both an image and an archival record. His story offers a rare glimpse into the life of an African living in Tudor England.

Join historian Michael Ohajuru as he pieces together John Blanke’s life using surviving records: Blanke’s role as a royal musician, his appearance on the 1511 Westminster Tournament Roll, and his successful petition for a pay rise. Learn what Blanke’s story reveals about status, identity, and opportunity in early sixteenth-century England.

The talk also introduces The John Blanke Project and the book Who Is John Blanke? which bring together the work of 35 historians and 81 artists. Their work reminds us that even the briefest archival traces can inspire us to reimagine overlooked lives.