Welcome to the Hollywood Studio Exclusively for Coloreds collection identification initiative!
***If you are interested in utilizing this collection for research or genaeological purposes, please note that staff are working diligently to process and digitize materials. We hope to have the collection available in 2027.***
About this project:
This community identification initiative is currently a beta project, with possibilities to expand it into a larger project in the future. Our hope is that individuals who are in photos from this collection, or who know pictured individuals, will tag those images to help us identify the subjects of these photos and connect people with their family memories. These tags will be used by Auburn Avenue Research Library's archivists to attribute identification to individuals within these images in order to increase accessibility to the collection. If you have any questions, please email aarl.archives@fultoncountyga.gov
About the collection:
The "Hollywood Studio Exclusively for Coloreds" collection is currently housed at the Auburn Avenue Research Library in Atlanta, GA. It has been in AARL's holdings for over 25 years and is currently being processed. The collection is home to over 130,000 images, including both photographs and photonegatives as well as corresponding ephemera, from a portrait studio in Macon, GA. The images in this collection span from c. 1953-1996 and showcase many different aspects of life in town, including weddings, holidays, family portraits, graduations, and much more. While there are some photographs of white individuals in this collection and in this project, the vast majority of images in the collection highlight Black individuals in Macon.
We plan to add new photographs to this page periodically, here are some specific groups that we plan to add images of in 2025:
- October: Halloween portaits
- November: Veteran's Day
- Late November/December: Family portraits
-
“Gays Join Atlanta MLK Day Celebrations” — Southern Voice, January 11, 2001 -
“Gay Center Taps New Director” — Southern Voice, January 18, 2001 Newspaper article from Southern Voice announcing Craig Washington’s appointment as Executive Director of the Atlanta Gay and Lesbian Center. The article details Washington’s plans to expand outreach across Atlanta’s diverse GLBT communities and continue the Center’s legacy of advocacy, education, and health programming. -
“5 Hot Activists” — Feature Including Craig Washington Magazine feature spotlighting five Black LGBTQ+ activists, including Craig Washington, Steve Scarborough, Harry Knox, Ashé L. Louise, and Lawrie Demorest. The article celebrates their leadership and advocacy for equality, community health, and social justice across the South. -
“Volunteerism: Giving the Gift of Time” — Article by Craig Washington (Venus Magazine, February 1995) Published in Venus Magazine, this essay by Craig Washington reflects on the meaning of volunteerism, particularly in the context of African American communities and AIDS activism. Washington discusses his work with AID Atlanta’s African-American Outreach program and the importance of service, empathy, and kinship in building resilient communities. -
“Moving Our Community Forward” — Public Forum Featuring Craig Washington Promotional flyer for a community discussion titled “Moving Our Community Forward,” featuring Craig Washington, Executive Director of the Atlanta Gay and Lesbian Center. The event, hosted by AEN, explored strategies for Atlanta’s gay and lesbian community to grow collectively and engage civic issues.