‘Emancipation’ Producer’s Historical Black Photograph Collection Is An Indicator Of Larger Preservation Issues

Historical photographs are usually handled with extreme care — held with gloves, stored with acid-free paper and protective sleeves, and hidden away from light and heat. But when Hollywood producer Joey McFarland showed up to the red carpet premiere of the movie Emancipation last month in Los Angeles, he showed off what he said was an original photograph of an enslaved man known as “Whipped Peter,” who inspired the Apple film starring Will Smith that he produced.“Thi