The Johnson Publishing Company cafeteria. Photo: Photograph by Alexandre Georges, ca. 1972

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№ 384

The Johnson Publishing Co. Collection African American Art from the Publishers of Ebony and Jett Magazines For our January 30, 2020 sale of African-American Art from the Johnson Publishing Company, Nigel Freeman, director of Swann’s African-American Fine Art department, touches on the legacy of the publishing house, their art collection and Johnson Publishing Co.’s impact on African-American culture. In its September 1972 issue of Ebony, the Johnson Publishing Company presented its luxurious new headquarters in Chicago at 820 South Michigan Avenue. With a splashy and lengthy color spread, Ebony magazine proudly revealed to the public its new corporate offices. The Johnson Publishing Company had reached impressive new heights for African-American corporate culture. Image after image shows the company’s comprehensive vision for their headquarters: the building by architect John W. Moutoussamy, and sumptuous interior by designer John Ilrod (from the executive suite of founder and publisher John H. Johnson, to the office cafeteria). The 11-story tower, the first African-American–owned building in the Loop, Chicago’s downtown area, and the first and only one designed by an African-American architect, soon gained iconic status. The magazine article also was the public’s first chance to catch glimpses on the office walls of another significant aspect of its new stature: an important collection of African-American art. It, too, became a part of the fabric of the JPC corporate culture.

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