By The Ford Foundation
A consortium of foundations – the Ford Foundation, The J. Paul Getty Trust, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation – has acquired the archive of Johnson Publishing Company, publisher of the iconic Ebony and Jet magazines.
The archive includes more than 4 million prints and negatives comprising the most significant collection of photographs cataloguing African-American life in the 20th century.
The archive was acquired for $30 million as part of an auction of the assets of JPC in connection with its Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing. The acquisition is pending court approval and the closing of the sale.
The foundation consortium will donate the archives to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Getty Research Institute, and other leading cultural institutions for the public benefit to ensure the broadest access for the general public and use by scholars, researchers, journalists and other interested parties.
“We’re thrilled with the outcome,” says Ford Foundation president Darren Walker. “This archive is a national treasure and one of tremendous importance to the telling of black history in America. We felt it was imperative to preserve these images, to give them the exposure they deserve and make them readily available to the public.”
Says James Cuno, president of The J. Paul Getty Trust: “There is no greater repository of the history of the modern African-American experience than this archive. Saving it and making it available to the public is a great honor and a grave responsibility.”
The archive offers a remarkable insight into everyday of life in Black America – up-close and personal pictures of artists, celebrities and leaders which provided much needed representation in the media.
The historic images also capture moments of grief and horror like the mutilated body of Emmett Till in his coffin and Coretta Scott King at her husband’s funeral.
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See also:
* New York Times: Ebony’s Photo Archive Goes For $30 Million, For Future In Public View.
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Previously:
* The World-Class Photography Of Ebony And Jet Is Up For Sale.
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Plus:
* We Can’t Let This Giant Die.
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Comments welcome.
Posted on July 26, 2019