DSU partners with Getty Images for the protection of University photos

Delaware State University has taken a significant step in preserving its rich history, protecting its brand, and globally extending the reach of its ongoing story as one of the top HBCUs in the country with its new content partnership with Getty Images, a preeminent global visual content creator and marketplace.

Through this collaboration, DSU has dramatically improved its capability to tell the incredible story of its remarkable development since the University’s establishment as Delaware’s only Historically Black Institution of Higher Education in 1891 and one of the premier HBCUs in the country.

That history includes its generations of alumni and their contributions, including prominent alumni such as Steve Ewing, longtime Ford automobile franchisee; Cathleen Trigg-Jones, actress, producer, and Emmy award-winning journalist; Aaron D. Spears, film and TV actor; SZA, multi-Grammy award singer; Eric Dickens film and TV producer, writer, and director; and John Taylor, NFL Pro Bowl and San Francisco 49ers Super Bowl wide receiver.

DSU has also hosted highly esteemed visitors such as U.S. President Joe Biden, civil rights leader Jesse Jackson, Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness, Exelon CEO Calvin Butler, former Publisher of the Washington Post Don Graham, acclaimed singing artist John Legend, and NBA Hall of Famer and Entrepreneur Magic Johnson.

“The world deserves to see the import and rich history of Delaware State University and our ever-careful eye toward the future,” said University President Tony Allen. “Our new partnership with Getty Images dramatically increases our exposure and provides visual representations of our bold vision – the most substantively diverse, contemporary, and unapologetic HBCU in the world.”

Through this partnership, Getty Images will manage the post-production costs to restore thousands of images from DSU’s Archives. This funding comes from the company’s HBCU Photo Archive Grants Program provided by the Getty Family and Stand Together. The new archival content will be available for licensing via Getty Images’ global distribution platform.

Getty Images’ esteemed HBCU program partner, Epson America, Inc., has generously donated an Expression 13000XL scanner and software to facilitate DSU’s digitization efforts of the Archive. Additionally, Getty Images’ program partner, Adnet Global, a renowned post-production agency specializing in the digitalization, restoration, and discoverability of visual analog historic libraries in the photo digitization process, will ensure that DSU’s digital replicas are enriched with meticulously applied metadata to improve the access and the searchability of DSU’s historical images on gettyimages.com. 

Cassandra Illidge, Vice President of Global Partnerships and Executive Director of the HBCU Program at Getty Images said, “We are excited to partner with Delaware State University and the HBCU community to illuminate the past, empower the present and inspire generations to come. Each HBCU’s photographic archive provides a unique and powerful glimpse into the mission and impact of their institution. We are honored to represent Delaware State University’s content and champion global awareness of their story.”

“More than 20 years ago, Delaware State University emerged from being known as one of the best-kept secrets among minority-serving institutions of higher education and is now known as one of the top public HBCUs in the country,” said Dr. Vita Pickrum, DSU Vice President of Institutional Advancement. “Through our partnership with Getty Images, DSU’s rich history and legacy will now be available to be seen worldwide.”

Discover and explore Delaware State University’s archival images on gettyimages.com, here.