Peregrine Tyam and Mrs. Mary Verney: Patriarchy and Race in Late 17th-Century England

Name: Peregrine Tyam and Mrs. Mary Verney: Patriarchy and Race in Late 17th-Century England | The Huntington
Start: Wed, Mar 5 2025
Location: The Huntington

Event

Join Susan D. Amussen, distinguished professor of history and UC Merced Presidential Chair in the Humanities, for a discussion on how 17th-century portraits illuminate the experiences and identities of London’s growing African population, particularly enslaved children.

Lectures

In the second half of the 17th century, London saw an increasing population of people of African descent, especially enslaved children, some of whom were marked with silver collars in portraits to signify their status as possessions. Through the portrait of Peregrine Tyam with Mary Lawley Verney, this lecture explores how these images help us understand the complex identities of people in late 17th-century England.

This is the Fletcher Jones Distinguished Fellow Lecture.

Lenthall, Peregrine Tyam with Mary Lawley Verney (1692). | Image by permission of the Claydon House Trust.