Proximity Partners is dedicated to identifying, preserving, and finding homes for historically significant photographic and archival materials that might otherwise decay or disappear.

Our mission is to ensure that these cultural artifacts are catalogued with care, placed in meaningful and secure locations, and made available to researchers, educators, and the general public. 

Projects

  • Matt Herron photo of Martin Luther King Jr., John Lewis, and other Civil Rights leaders during the Selma-to-Montgomery March

    Finding Homes for Matt Herron Exhibit Prints

    Cataloguing and finding permanent homes for exhibit prints left by photographer Matt Herron.

  • An image of the Dallas Co. judicial archives, which are housed in a shed behind an Enterprise Rent-A-Car.

    Preserving Public Records

    Piloting a digitization and preservation program for historically significant public records in Dallas Co., Ala.

  • Matt Herron photo of Doris Wilson, of Marion, Ala.

    Unsung: Marion

    Establishing a lasting legacy in Marion, Ala., by curating an exhibit of photos of unsung local activists from the 1965 Voting Rights Campaign.

  • Matt Herron photo of Poor People's March after assassination of Dr. King

    Assisting Archivists Identify Photo Subjects

    By connecting historical photographs and materials with the communities they document, Proximity Partners helps archivists contextualize and enrich their holdings.

Services

Archival Placement

FOR FAMILIES, ESTATES, AND INDEPENDENT COLLECTORS

• Assessing and taking inventorying of photographic collections
• Identifying institutional or private partners (e.g., museums, private institutions, collectors) • Crafting proposals and materials for discussions about donation or acquisition
• Coordinating logistics of digitization, shipping, and legacy planning
• Advising on estate planning for photographic and documentary materials

Public Records Preservation

FOR MUNICIPALITIES, COUNTIES, AND COMMUNITY GROUPS

• Locating offsite public records
• Assessing storage conditions of legal, civic, or photographic and paper records
• Cataloging and prioritizing historically significant materials for preservation
• Coordinating digitization, archival housing, and/or safe transfer
• Facilitating partnerships with academic institutions, cultural organizations, or archives
• Seeking funding and in-kind support from tech or philanthropic partners

Donor & Institutional Matching

FOR FUNDERS, FOUNDATIONS, AND CORPORATIONS

• Connecting mission-aligned funders with under-the-radar collections or archives in need of support
• Helping philanthropists fund projects with measurable cultural impact
• Advising institutions on collecting practices with ethical frameworks in mind

Storytelling & Interpretation

FOR CURATORS, DOCUMENTARIANS, AND EDUCATORS

• Producing short-form interpretive materials for newly rediscovered collections
• Collaborating on film, podcast, or museum exhibition development
• Providing finding aids, metadata, historical context and research support
• Connecting materials with living descendants or communities of origin
• Organizing workshops around significant but previously unavailable materials

Partner with us.

About

Services

Archival Placement
Public Records Preservation
Storytelling & Donor Matching

Clients

Matt Herron Estate
Equal Justice Initiative
National Underground Railroad Freedom Center