CHICAGO June 4, 2018 – The Obsidian Collection of digitized images depicting African American history, arts and culture debuts on Google Arts & Culture with eight virtual exhibits featuring nearly 140 images of iconic people, places and events from the 1940s through 1980s rescued from newspaper archives and other sources. These hidden gems, including rare images of famed boxer Joe Louis, Maxwell Street and black people enjoying Chicago’s summer festival scene, can be accessed worldwide, in perpetuity, thanks to a partnership between Google Arts & Culture and Obsidian Collection founder and Executive Director Angela Ford. The Chicago-based entrepreneur, black history buff and tech enthusiast is on a mission to save and share rarely viewed images captured by the nation’s black press.
The virtual exhibits can be viewed in a few clicks at The Obsidian Collection Archives – Google Arts & Culture.