Lincoln University, America’s first degree-granting Historically Black College And University (HBCU), and Getty Images have launched a special content partnership to preserve the school’s heritage and illuminate its rich legacy.
The Pennsylvania-based HBCU is marking its 170th anniversary this year. The collaboration marks an important milestone in the university’s efforts to preserve its legacy via its visual archives.
Lincoln University’s legacy includes notable alumni such as the U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, American poet and social activist Langston Hughes, The former President of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah, the N.J. Lieutenant Governor, the Honorable Sheila Y. Oliver, and Philadelphia’s current Mayor Cherelle Parker. There have also been many notable visitors to Lincoln University, including Frederick Douglass, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Jesse Jackson, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and three presidents of the United States.
“At Lincoln University, we are immensely proud to partner with Getty Images, marking a significant milestone in our institution’s history that illuminates our legacy and safeguards our intellectual heritage,” Lincoln University President Dr. Brenda A. Allen said in a press release shared with ESSENCE. “This collaboration not only allows us to preserve and disseminate our rich history on a global scale but also underscores our commitment to empowering future generations with the transformative power of visual storytelling.”
Through this partnership, Getty Images will handle the post-production costs for restoring 1,500 photos from Lincoln University’s archives. The funds come from the company’s HBCU Photo Archive, provided by the Getty Family and Stand Together.
“In 2021, Getty Images launched the Photo Archive Grants Program for HBCUs to support the preservation of historical photos from HBCUs archives and celebrate the traditions and photo coverage of HBCUs today,” said Cassandra Illidge, Getty Images Vice President of Global Content Partnerships and Executive Director of the HBCU Photo Archive Grants Program.
“Lincoln now joins other esteemed HBCUs currently working with Getty Images to protect their intellectual property, increase access to unique imagery, and raise awareness of rarely seen historical events.”
Getty Images HBCU program partner Epson America, Inc. has also donated its Expression 13000XL scanner and software to assist Lincoln in digitizing its archives.
In addition, Getty Images’ program partner Adnet Global will work closely with the university to ensure “pristine digital copies are meticulously enriched with metadata.”
“One of the themes in our strategic plan is to Tell the Unique Story of Lincoln, and this partnership will allow Lincoln to tell its rich history, showcase our legacy, and empower the nation with rarely seen images, videos, and stories from our past,” said Harry Stinson III, MS-SA, Lincoln University Interim Vice President of Institutional Advancement.
“It also demonstrates the power of information and our visual history and accentuates how this university has helped pave the way for men and women of color over the last several decades.”