A nonprofit consortium consisting of the Getty Research Institute, the J. Paul Getty Trust, the Ford Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and the Smithsonian Institution has taken another step toward preserving the photo archives of the Johnson Publishing Company in Chicago. 

A press release published by the group indicates that the consortium has created an Advisory Council that will "inform the preservation and future use of the historic photographic collection," which contains some 3.35 million negatives and slides, 983,000 photographs, 166,000 contact sheets, and 9,200 audio and visual recordings. The collection, according to the group, is "the most significant collection illustrating African American life in the 20th century."

The consortium came together in 2019 to purchase the archives as Johnson Publishing Company underwent bankruptcy proceedings. The process included the sale and renovation of the original Johnson Publishing Company headquarters, a 14-story office building in Chicago designed by notable African American architect John Warren Moutoussamy of Dubin, Dubin, Black & Moutoussamy in 1971. The headquarters included a colorful test kitchen design created by interior designer Arthur Elrod that has been dismantled and will be touring the country as part of a variety of exhibitions, including at the Museum of Food and Drink in New York City. 

The scope of the archival collection spans from the World War II era through the civil rights movement and into the "culture boom" of the 1980s and 1990s, according to the release. The consortium's Advisory Committee is headed by Carla Hayden, the United States Librarian of Congress, and includes a range of notable individuals from a variety of cultural and university groups. 

Members of the consortium include:

• Carla Hayden, Librarian of Congress (Advisory Council Chair)
• Louise Bernard, Director, Museum of the Obama Presidential Center at The Obama Foundation
• Dawoud Bey, photography professor, Columbia College Chicago
• Darlene Clark Hine, professor of African American studies / history, Northwestern University
• Meredith Evans, Director of the Jimmy Carter Library and Museum
• Jonathan Holloway, Incoming President of Rutgers University
• Kellie Jones, professor in art history and archaeology at the Institute for Research in African American Studies, Columbia University
• Richard Powell, professor of art & art history, Duke University
• Brent Staples, Editorial Board member, The New York Times
• Jacquelyn Stewart, Director of Arts & Public Life, University of Chicago
• Deborah Willis, Director of the Institute of African American Affairs, Tisch School of the Arts

In the announcement highlighting the creation of the Advisory Council, Hayden writes, “I am honored to lead an Advisory Council comprised of leaders who share a deep understanding and appreciation of this archive’s significance,” adding, "With such diverse areas of expertise, this group represents a wide range of perspectives that will be crucial in advancing this undertaking and ultimately showcasing this historic collection of art and culture.”

Plans for the collection moving forward include an effort to "re-box, label and secure the material that will undergo preservation and digitization ahead of its eventual public display." It is expected that ultimately the materials will be made available to the public physically and through digital means through a database developed by the Getty and Smithsonian Museums.