A Getty workshop hosted at The Block Museum in July 2023 introduced students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to the principles of photograph conservation through the Johnson Publishing Company (JPC) Archive. The JPC Archive is a monumental repository of photographic materials depicting the Black American experience over seven decades. Scheduled in conjunction with the processing of the archive, this session, a pilot iteration of a now annual project, welcomed 14 students of diverse academic backgrounds to The Block in partnership with the National Museum of African American History and Culture.  

Dan Silverstein, Block Associate Director of Collections and Exhibition Management, said The Block was excited to host the workshop and support its aims. 

“We felt that this was a wonderful opportunity to partner with our colleagues to help address the lack of diversity in the field of collection care,” he said. “We saw this workshop as an important contribution to help expand the field to many who haven’t had these types of opportunities – or may not have even known that such fields existed.” 

The workshop, which ran July 10-14, 2023, offered practical learning sessions, guest lectures with industry professionals, a visit to the Art Institute of Chicago’s conservation and science labs, and a concluding tour and reception at the DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center. The 2024 workshop will be held July 8-12 at The Block. Applications are open via Getty through February 8.