Lincoln University recently announced a new content partnership with Getty Images, a preeminent global visual content creator and marketplace. This collaboration marks a significant milestone in Lincoln’s ongoing mission to preserve and disseminate its rich legacy. 

Lincoln University was established in 1854 as the nation’s first degree-granting Historically Black College and University (HBCU). This year marks Lincoln University’s 170th anniversary, and the institution is poised to showcase its illustrious history and highlight the contributions of important alumni like U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, American poet, social activist Langston Hughes, Kwame Nkrumah, the former President of Ghana, the First President of Nigeria, Nnamdi Azikiwe, N.J. Lieutenant Governor the Honorable Sheila Y. Oliver, and Philadelphia’s current Mayor Cherelle Parker. 

Lincoln University has also hosted prestigious visitors such as Frederick Douglass, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Jesse Jackson, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and three U.S. Presidents. 

“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,” said Lincoln University president Dr. Brenda A. Allen. "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 manage the post-production costs to restore 1,500 photos from Lincoln University’s Archives. This funding comes from the company’s HBCU Photo Archive Grants Program provided by the Getty Family and Stand Together. This generous support underlines Getty Images' dedication to advancing cultural preservation by publishing Lincoln’s archival content and emphasizes its commitment to disseminating Lincoln’s present and historical narratives. 

“In 2021, Getty Images launched the Photo Archive Grants Program for HBCUs to support the preservation of historical photos from HBCU’s 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’ esteemed HBCU program partner, Epson America, Inc., has generously donated its Expression 13000XL scanner and software that facilitates Lincoln’s digitization efforts of the archive. This collaboration represents a significant investment in Lincoln’s legacy and historical archives, enabling the university to honor the past while embracing the digital future. 

In addition, Getty Images’ program partner, Adnet Global, a renowned post‐production agency that specializes in the digitization, restoration, and discoverability of visual analog historic libraries in the photo digitization process, will work closely with Lincoln to ensure pristine digital replicas are enriched with meticulously applied 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’s 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.”