Preserve the Archive
Support This Work
The Kornweiss Photography Archive is free and open to everyone. Your support helps us scan, restore, and preserve photographs that connect families to their history — and keeps the archive accessible for generations to come.
“Most Jewish families who immigrated from Eastern Europe between 1880 and 1924 arrived with nothing. Professional studio portraits from the Lower East Side are among the only surviving visual records of these families in their first years in America. A Kornweiss print from 1905 might be the earliest photograph a family has. Period.”
Make a Donation
Every dollar goes directly to scanning, restoration, hosting, and archival preservation. No middleman, no overhead.
$18 = Chai (life) in Jewish tradition. All amounts are meaningful.
All payments are securely processed through Stripe. We are pursuing fiscal sponsorship through Fractured Atlas to make donations tax-deductible — email us for details.
Direct Impact
Sponsor a Photograph
Sponsor the scanning, restoration, and permanent archiving of a specific photograph. Your name will appear as the patron on that photo's archive page — a lasting connection between you and the preservation of someone's family history.
Chai Sponsorship
Covers basic scanning and digital preservation of one photograph. Your name displayed as sponsor.
Double Chai Sponsorship
Covers scanning, digital restoration, and enhanced metadata research. Your name displayed as patron.
Other Ways to Help
Contribute a Photograph
Have a Kornweiss print? A family photograph from the Lower East Side? Submit it to the archive. Every photograph makes the collection more valuable for everyone.
Tell a Story
Recognize someone in the archive? Share what you know. Your story could be the connection that reunites a family with a photograph they never knew existed.
Spread the Word
Share this archive with anyone who might have a connection to the Lower East Side, Jewish immigrant history, or early 20th century New York. The more people who see these photographs, the more connections we make.
Order a Print
Every print purchase directly funds the archive. You get a museum-quality reproduction; the archive gets the resources to scan and preserve more photographs.
Institutional Partnerships
Museums, libraries, historical societies, and academic institutions interested in collaboration, image licensing, or co-curated exhibitions — we'd love to hear from you.
Get in Touch