A major focus of Documentary Arts is the expansion and organization of the Texas African American Photography (TAAP) Archive.

The TAAP archive provides a broad overview of African American photography in the urban and rural areas of Texas, spanning the period from the 1870s to the present and representing a variety of processes and makers. The Archive is unique in its comprehensiveness, and consists of over 50,000 photographic negatives and prints and more than 20 oral histories collected from African American photographers. Most of the items in the Archive have been donated by the photographers and their families, while others have been acquired from private collections.

In Febrary, 1997 the TAAP Archive finalized its association with the African Americah Museum of Dallas by initiating a series of exhibitions, workshops and public programs.

The TAAP Archive is housed across the street from Documentary Arts in a permanent, state-of-the-art archival facility. It was constructed for this purpose through a major private contribution. This facility is located in the 5501 Columbia Art Center complex at 115 North Augusta near the corner of Columbia Ave, in East Dallas, TX, operated by Documentary Arts and Contemporary Culture, another non-profit organization.

The archive building itself has storage areas, a fireproof, climate-controlled vault with a temperature-regulated alarm system, a public event area, and secured and lighted parking. Processed collections are available for research and study on-site at the Archive. Full photographic reproduction services are available. For more information about conducting research and obtaining reproductions, please contact the Archive at (214)-823-8824 or email the archive.