The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) and Getty have formally acquired Johnson Publishing's image archives, which includes historic images from EBONY and JET, when they were under the Johnson Publishing umbrella.
The Johnson Publishing archives contain many historic images throughout modern Black history. Since 1945, EBONY magazine blazed a path by documenting events integral to Black culture. In 1951, JET magazine, EBONY's sister publication, came along to continue on this mission of catering to the unique needs of the African American community.
The consortium consisting of the Ford Foundation, the J. Paul Getty Trust, the MacArthur Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and the Smithsonian Institution shared that both institutions will carry prime ownership of over 4 million prints and negatives from both EBONY and JET from throughout the decades.
The Getty trust dedicated approximately $30 million to the digitization efforts of the archive's catalogue. Kevin Young, the director of the NMAAHC, said in a statement, "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. 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."
Additionally, this transfer means that the photo archives will be primarily housed on the grounds of NMAAHC and will eventually be available for public viewing.
