The Cindy Sherman Legacy Project (CSLP) represents a pioneering approach to photographic conservation, addressing the inherent fragility of aging photographic materials. Launched on June 16, 2025, the project offers a formal assessment process where damaged works can be destroyed and reprinted with Sherman's direct oversight, ensuring each reprint is color-matched to the original 35mm slide or black-and-white negative and personally approved by the artist.1 While private collectors pay a $10,000 administrative fee plus production costs, museums and non-profit institutions are exempt from this fee, paying only for production and shipping to ensure broader public access.1

Beyond the reprinting service, the CSLP is developing the first authorized digital archive of Sherman's work—a comprehensive, free-to-access catalogue raisonné that will document her complete oeuvre with high-resolution images, exhibition history, and scholarly context.1 According to Margaret Lee, the project's director, this initiative could serve as a template for other photographers, with Sherman herself noting that it provides "a mechanism that will ensure the integrity of my work is protected in perpetuity" while offering "a template for other artists working in the photographic medium."1

Photographs are inherently vulnerable to deterioration, making proper preservation essential for maintaining their integrity over time. Color photographs are particularly susceptible to damage, requiring storage at low temperatures (40°F/4°C or below) to ensure long-term stability1. Black and white prints, while generally more stable, still require careful handling and appropriate storage conditions to prevent degradation.

Proper preservation strategies include maintaining stable environmental conditions with temperatures between 65-70°F (18-21°C) and relative humidity between 30-50%1, minimizing handling by touching only the edges while wearing clean cotton gloves2, and using appropriate archival-quality storage materials. For valuable or particularly fragile photographs, individual enclosures made of pH-neutral, unbuffered paper (for color prints) or alkaline/buffered paper (for black and white prints) that pass the Photographic Activity Test provide essential protection3. Cold storage in polyethylene bags within archival boxes can dramatically extend the lifespan of vulnerable photographic materials from decades to centuries1, making it a crucial consideration for collections like Sherman's that represent significant artistic and cultural value.

The CSLP's reprinting process begins when collectors submit Sherman's works to the New York assessment facility, where each piece undergoes rigorous evaluation against criteria established by the artist herself.1 If deemed eligible for reprinting, the original photograph—complete with its title, edition number, date, and provenance documentation—is destroyed, and a new print is created under Sherman's direct supervision.1 This meticulous process ensures continuity with her artistic vision, as Sherman has worked with the same specialist print lab for over two decades, preserving technical knowledge that might otherwise be lost.1

The assessment considers not only physical condition but also conceptual integrity, recognizing that Sherman's work has always prioritized artistic intention over technical perfection.2 This approach aligns with her early artistic philosophy, where she and contemporaries "cared little about the perfect print or correct exposure" but focused instead on the conceptual resonance of their images.2 Each reprint undergoes color-matching to the original source material and receives Sherman's personal approval before being returned to the collector, maintaining the work's authenticity while ensuring its longevity for future generations.1