The Ford, Getty Trust, MacArthur, and Mellon foundations have announced the transfer of the acclaimed Johnson Publishing Company (JPC) archive to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) and to the Getty Research Institute, a program of the Getty Trust. 

In addition, the Getty Trust committed $30 million to process and digitize the archive, which will enable it to be searchable to scholars, researchers, journalists, and the general public. In 2019, the collection was acquired for $30 million.

The JPC collection is regarded as one of the most significant and substantial collections of Black American culture in the 20th century, and features images from iconic publications Ebony and Jet. Jointly owned by the two entities that are sharing in the collection’s care and processing, the archive will be housed at the NMAAHC in Washington, D.C., ensuring its availability for the public to access in the years to come.

“For decades, Ebony and Jet documented stories of Black celebrity, fashion, and the Civil Rights Movement and provided an opportunity for African Americans to see an authentic public representation of themselves while also offering the world a fuller view of the African American experience,” said Kevin Young, the Andrew W. Mellon director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. “Our museum is proud that this significant and iconic collection of African American images will be housed in our museum and preserved for generations to study, observe, and enjoy.”

(Photo credit: Getty Images/suteishi)