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Who is John Blanke?
Hardback
€42.00
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- Book Synopsis
- The pioneering art-history project on the first recorded Black man in British history 'Brilliantly illuminates the overlooked chapters of Black Tudor England' - Professor Corinne Fowler, The University of Leicester 'Encourages a deeper empathetic engagement with our shared past' - Professor David Olusoga, University of Manchester On a sixty‑foot vellum scroll known as the Great Tournament Roll of Westminster, a single Black trumpeter rides among Henry VIII's musicians, his instrument draped with royal arms. That figure - the black Tudor trumpeter John Blanke - is the first known person of African descent in Britain for whom we have both an identifiable image and written records. Who Is John Blanke? Historians and Artists Reimagine the Black Tudor Trumpeter is a richly produced work of art and history, edited by art and cultural historian Michael I. Ohajuru, founder of the acclaimed John Blanke Project. Bringing together historians, visual artists, poets, photographers, rappers and playwrights, it transforms a handful of archival references into a vivid, many‑voiced portrait of Black presence in Tudor England and Renaissance Europe. From court payment books that record Blanke's wages and successful petition for a pay rise, to royal gifts of a violet wedding gown and bonnet, the book carefully reconstructs what we can know of John Blanke's life as one of the African musicians in Henry VIII's court. These documents sit alongside a full discussion of the Great Tournament Roll of Westminster, where John Blanke appears twice among a troop of six trumpeters leading royal processions. Together, they anchor the book's exploration of Africans in early modern Britain and the wider Black presence in Renaissance Europe. Around this historical core, 114 contributors respond to the prompt "I imagined John Blanke as…". Their answers range from lyrical essays and sharp historical insights to striking black‑and‑white drawings, photographs, rap verses and poems. We see John Blanke as virtuoso jazz ancestor, as working court professional, as migrant, husband, wage‑earner and "agent of change"; as symbol, inspiration and fellow member of the African diaspora. This unique conversation between archive and imagination makes the volume stand out among Black history books about England. A specially written introduction traces the origins of the John Blanke Project Michael Ohajuru in gallery talks, exhibitions and the live "John Blanke Live!" symposia, while a foreword by Dr Bonnie Greer celebrates the emotional impact of seeing Blanke's face on the original Roll for the first time. High‑quality reproductions and elegant design frame the artworks and texts, making this a beautiful example of Black Tudors nonfiction illustrated - as at home on a coffee table as in a classroom. This book is ideal for readers of Miranda Kaufmann's Black Tudors or David Olusoga's Black and British, for anyone curious about Black British history Tudor England, and for all who want to see Britain's past in full colour rather than in selective monochrome. It offers rich material for teachers seeking multicultural British history education resources, museum and heritage professionals rethinking their displays, and students exploring African Europeans Renaissance history for the first time. Above all, Who Is John Blanke? invites you to imagine - and to rethink what you thought you knew. If you have been told there were no Black people at the Tudor court, this book's fanfare of images and voices will prove otherwise. Let the art and history of John Blanke change the way you see Tudor England - and claim your place in a longer, deeper story of Britain's past. Buy this beautiful book and start reading
- About The Author
- Michael I Ohajuru holds an Honorary Doctorate from the Open University (2024), is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (2022), Senior Fellow of the Institute of Commonwealth Studies (2014), with honours degrees in Physics (Leeds, 1974) and Art History (Open University, 2008). He retired in 2014 after a 25-year career holding senior positions in international sales and marketing in the data and mobile communications industry. He lives in South London with his partner, the artist Ebun Culwin. He blogs, writes and speaks regularly on the black presence in Renaissance Europe, he has spoken at the Metropolitan Museum, New York, the National Gallery, London, National Portrait Gallery, Tate Britain, British Library, National Archives and the Victoria Albert Museum on the subject. In 2010, he founded Image of the Black in London Galleries - a series of gallery tours highlighting the overt and covert black presences to be found in the national art collections in London. He is Project Director and Chief Evangelist of the John Blanke Project, a contemporary Art and Archive project celebrating John Blanke, the Black trumpeter to the courts of Henry VII and Henry VII now in the permanent collections of the National Studies What's Happening in Black British History, a series of workshops fostering creative dialogue between researchers, educationalists (mainstream and supplementary), archivists and curators, and policymakers; a series of 10 workshops were held over five years. He is a founder member of the Black Presence in British BP2 Podcast. Michael I. Ohajuru DUniv, FRSA, Art & Cultural Historian https://about.me/michaelohajuru/
- Product Details
-
- ISBN
- 9781914487484
- Format
- Hardback
- Publisher
- Canbury Press, (24 April 2025)
- Number of Pages
- 271
- Weight
- 2084 grams
- Language
- English
- Dimensions
- 327 x 255 x 30 mm
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