Who We Are

 The Pacific Northwest Photographers Archive (PNPA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, charitable organization

striving to enhance the legacy of photographers and associated organizations that have contributed to the region’s rich history in photographic art. In partnership with the University of Washington, PNPA seeks to acquire and preserve significant photographic materials and make them available to students, scholars and the general public for the study and appreciation of photography created in the Pacific Northwest and of photographers with ties to the Pacific Northwest.  

The organization was established to increase the awareness of photographers and the role they’ve played in the development of regional art communities. Archival materials are housed in a highly secure, time honored setting focused on excellence, integrity, stewardship and education. PNPA, established in 2016, contains photographic negatives, contact sheets, fine prints, photographers’ correspondence and writings, exhibition catalogues and brochures, press clippings, and other materials related to the life work of photographers living, or working in the Northwest. The collection is professionally managed within the prestigious University of Washington Libraries (Suzzallo and Allen libraries) in Seattle, designed by renowned architects Carl Gould, Charles Bebb and Edward Larrabee Barnes. The PNPA Board oversees the collection’s development.

PNPA does not acquire copyrights. The UW Libraries works with photographers, or their heirs, to address copyrights in a manner suiting individual needs and objectives. There are a variety of options in determining the best way to handle copyright issues.

PNPA supports photographers of all races, colors, genders, cultures, ethnicities, socio-economic backgrounds, and faiths.