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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.

Hollywood Studio Exclusively for Coloreds poster

Hollywood Studio exterior at 316 Cherry St.

  • Venus Magazine, October 1995 — “A Call to Action!”
    Cover of Venus Magazine (October 1995), featuring the headline “A Call to Action!” and highlighting how America’s Black gay men and lesbians responded to the Million Man March. The cover includes a photograph of two individuals on a motorcycle during a community gathering, along with feature mentions of Urvashi Vaid and national conversations on equality and activism among LGBTQ people of color.
  • Venus Magazine, Aug/Sept 1995 (Black Gay Pride Issue)
    Cover of Venus Magazine (August/September 1995), a special Black Gay Pride issue featuring the headline “A Lady & a Woman.” The cover spotlights Black LGBTQ+ arts and culture, including a play by Derieck Scott and features related to the Cotsville Stories. Venus was one of the most prominent publications centering lesbians and gays of color in the 1990s.
  • Between Brothers, Vol. 1, Issue 1 (2003)
    Color magazine cover for Between Brothers, Vol. 1, Issue 1 (2003), a publication produced by BEBASHI’s “Brotherhood” program and circulated within Black same-gender-loving and HIV/AIDS advocacy networks. The cover features a close-up portrait of a Black man with locs, alongside a table of contents highlighting themes of mentorship, responsibility, adolescent development, street outreach, and brotherhood-focused community support.
  • Disabled American Veteran (15325)
    Man posing in Disabled American Veteran cap.
  • Navy Sailors around table (T-2572)
    Navy Sailors sitting around table with drinks and cigars.
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