Hollywood Studio Exclusively for Coloreds -- Unidentified Photographic Collection, circa 1953-1996

Collection

Identifier: 98-0004-a

Scope and Contents

The Hollywood Studio Exclusively for Coloreds collection documents mainly Black families, churches, events, and life in Macon, GA both during and after segregation in the United States. This collection of photographs, photonegatives, photo albums, and corresponding ephemera is mostly from Macon, but also includes images of individuals from surrounding cities and townships, including Fort Valley, Forsyth, and Gainesville, GA. The collection also houses photonegatives from a portrait studio in Warner Robins, GA.

Over the years that Hollywood Studio was in operation, there were three main locations:

c. 1953-1954 – 849 Forsyth St.

c. 1955-1969 – 642 Cherry St.

c. 1970-1996 – 316 Cherry St.

Dates

Majority of material found within c. 1953-1954
Majority of material found within c. 1955-1969
Majority of material found within c. 1970-1996

Biographical / Historical

Leroy Jackson Hartley (1927-2018) was the owner and operator of the Hollywood Studio for Coloreds portrait studio in Macon, GA for over 30 years. He was born in Crawford County, GA before living in Macon. Hartley was married to Alice Campbell Hartley, who he shared three children with. In addition to owning Hollywood Studio, Hartley served in the United States Air Force and worked for the Bibb County Sherriff Department.

Hartley began practicing photography in Macon in 1952 before opening a portrait studio with Maurice Martin in 1953, which later became Hollywood Studio. The studio began at 849 Forsyth St. and later moved to two different locations on Cherry St. The studio started off doing traditional seated portraits of individuals and groups, and later moved on to printing personal photographs. In many of the images in the collection there are handwritten notes and sketching on the image itself to manually “touch up” the photograph or negative before the invention of modern image editing.

Extent

35.8 Linear Feet (31 record cartons, 10 full archives boxes, 3 half archives boxes)

Language

English

Additional Description

Content Note

This collection does include some funeral portraits, which contain images of deceased individuals. It also includes some images with nudity and sexual content. Any image that may contain potentially harmful content has been noted on the image’s envelope.