Johnson Publishing Company

Johnson Publishing Company, Inc. (JPC) was an American publishing company founded in November 1942 by African-American businessman John H. Johnson. It was headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. JPC was privately held and run by Johnson until his death in 2005. His publications "forever changed the popular representation of African Americans."[4] The writing portrayed African Americans as they saw themselves and its photojournalism made history.[4] Led by its flagship publication, Ebony, Johnson Publishing was at one time the largest African-American-owned publishing firm in the United States. JPC also published Jet, a weekly news magazine, from November 1951 until June 2014, when it became digital only. In the 1980s, the company branched into film and television.

The company's last chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) was the founder's daughter, Linda Johnson Rice. In its final years, Johnson Publishing Company sold off assets including its historic 820 S. Michigan Avenue headquarters in 2011, and its publications in 2016. In April 2019, JPC filed for liquidation, ending the company's 76-year run. The historic Ebony/Jet photo archives, which JPC retained after the sale of its Ebony and Jet magazines, were sold in July 2019 for $30 million to a group of art and educational foundations to make them available to the public.[5]

History

homepage	JohnsonPublishing.com

Johnson Publishing Company was founded in 1942 by John Harold Johnson, who was working as an office clerk for Chicago-based Supreme Life Insurance Company of America. Using money from a $500 loan that was secured with his mother's furniture,[6] Johnson mailed $2 charter subscription offers to members who had life insurance through Supreme Life. In return, he received more than 3,000 completed subscription offers and with that money he printed his first publication, Negro Digest, in November 1942.[7] By mid-1943, the monthly circulation of Negro Digest had reached 50,000 copies.[8]

Headquarters

820 S. Michigan Avenue, the iconic building constructed for the Johnson Publishing Company, publishers of Ebony and Jet magazines, was designed by John Moutoussamy, and was the first African-American-owned building in Chicago's downtown area. It remains the only Chicago high-rise to be designed by an African American.[9]

Johnson Publishing had several locations throughout its history. The first headquarters from 1942 until 1943, was inside the Supreme Life Building at 3501 S. Parkway Ave (later renamed Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive). As the company grew, Johnson then purchased a building at 5619 S. State Street in 1943. Six years later, in 1949, it relocated to 1820 South Michigan Avenue, a former funeral home. In December 1971, the company moved to 820 S. Michigan.[10]

In Fall 2017, the City of Chicago designated the Johnson Building as a city landmark. Shortly thereafter, 3L Real Estate, a developer that specializes in the repurposing of classic real estate, bought the former headquarters from Columbia College Chicago and converted the office space into 150 rental apartments.

The iconic, psychedelic Ebony Test Kitchen, used by the magazine's food editors to test recipes, was donated by 3L Real Estate to Landmarks Illinois which in turn transferred it to New York's Museum of Food and Drink.[11] The original Ebony/Jet sign that sits atop the building has been preserved and serves both as a welcome sign from the air and an anchor for the rooftop deck with sweeping views of Grant Park, Lake Michigan and Chicago's Museum Campus.

3L Real Estate CEO Joe Slezak said it was important to maintain original features when possible and worked with interior designer Elizabeth Watters to keep subtle reminders of the initial decor designed by Arthur Elrod and William Raiser. "From the lobby, with large swaths of original wood wall paneling, to ottomans reupholstered using material (curtains/rugs) from the Johnson Publishing days, the vibe is oh so ’70s."[12]

Staff

In the early 1970s, the company's staff consisted of 300 people; 175 of them were located at the Chicago headquarters while the others worked at branch offices in Los Angeles, New York City, and Washington D.C.[13] The company had grown to 1400 employees by the end of 1980. Johnson's family held roles within the company. His wife, Eunice W. Johnson, was the founder, secretary, treasurer, and director of the Ebony Fashion Fair. His son, John H. Johnson Jr., served as a staff photographer for both Ebony and Jet magazines from 1975 until his death in December 1981. Johnson's daughter Linda Johnson Rice served as fashion coordinator of the Ebony Fashion Fair before becoming the company's CEO in 2003.[14]

The Johnson Publishing Company hired a number of notable photographers, including Bryan Berteaux.

Impact

Johnson once stated, "I wasn't trying to make history, I was trying to make money."[4] According to media historian Brenna Wynn Greer, he managed to do both. His publications both filled a niche in the market and "forever changed the popular representation of African Americans."[4] It portrayed African Americans as they saw themselves. Its photographs created for photojournalism made history.[4]

type	Privately held company
founder	John H. Johnson Eunice W. Johnson
foundation	November 1942
defunct	April 2019
location	200 S. Michigan Avenue Chicago, Illinois, U.S.‡R1R‡
key people	(chief executive officer)
industry	Mass media
products	Books Magazines Television Cosmetics
revenue

Johnson Publishing Company

History

Headquarters

Staff

Impact

Publications

Film and television

Ebony/Jet Celebrity Showcase

Other ventures

Ebony Fashion Fair and cosmetics

WJPC radio

Decline

Sale of headquarters, building plans

Sale of publications, photo archives, and bankruptcy

Legacy and tributes

Publications

Divisions

Former divisions

See also

External links

References