The Historically Black Colleges and Universities Photographic Preservation Project began in 2007 as a four-phase initiative to improve the preservation of significant photographic collections held within historically black colleges and universities in the United States ("HBCUs"). These collections document the visual and institutional history and legacy of HBCUs and form a core of primary research materials for the study of African American history. Ten HBCU institutions are participants.
The HBCU project is funded by a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Partners in the administration of the project include LYRASIS, the Art Conservation Department at the University of Delaware, the HBCU Library Alliance, the Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts, and the Image Permanence Institute.
The project empowers the stewards of important collections by providing practical training in photograph preservation, assisting with prioritization of needed projects, stabilization of at-risk collections, and encouraging investment in preservation capacity-building within their institutions.