The Johnson Publishing archive acquisition by the Smithsonian
Institutions are often on the wrong side of history. A recent ArtNews survey found that in the past decade, only twenty-eight percent of solo exhibitions were devoted to nonwhite artists, with black artists making up less than eleven percent of that number. So it was a pleasant surprise this summer when four foundations quickly came together to acquire Chicago’s legendary Johnson Publishing photo archive, in order to donate the works to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture and other institutions. Chicagoans can rest easy knowing that this crucial documentation of African-American life, which includes Ebony and Jet, will be preserved. (Kerry Cardoza)
