Celeste and Reggie Hodges collection, 1968-2021

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Summary

Creator:
Hodges, Celeste Jeanne, 1947-, Hodges, Reggie, 1944-, and John Hope Franklin Research Center for African and African American History and Culture
Abstract:
Collection consists of photography created by Celeste and Reggie Hodges while living in Sembehu and Shenge, Sierra Leone, as Peace Corps volunteers in the 1960s and 1970s. Formats include negatives, prints, slides, and digital scans; all image titles and subjects have been applied by the Hodges. Images depict village life, social and religious customs, agriculture and fishing practices, medical care and treatment, textiles and art, schooling and children's life, and portraits of people. Acquired as part of the John Hope Franklin Research Center for African and African American History and Culture.
Extent:
0.5 Linear Feet (1 box, 1 oversize folder)
26.5 Gigabytes
Language:
Materials in English.
Collection ID:
RL.13023

Background

Scope and content:

Collection consists of photography created by Celeste and Reggie Hodges while living in Sembehu and Shenge, Sierra Leone, as Peace Corps volunteers. The bulk of the photographs have been digitized by the Hodges, and the collection has copies of images in multiple formats (negative and digital, or print and digital, for example). The photographs document rural and routine village life in the 1960s-1970s in Sierra Leone, including local fashion, hair styles, carvings, and artwork; livelihoods such as fishing, carving, blacksmithing, weaving, farming, food preparation, and market selling; religious and sacred ceremonies, including devil dancers, masquerades, and drumming; women and children; Bundu society; people practicing Islam; schools; healthcare procedures and facilities; local architecture; community leaders or chiefs; transportation and vehicles; and landscape scenery including the Atlantic coast region. There are also portaits of individuals, some identified. The digital-only files include images of Gara (textile) production and patterns, and images of healthcare or medical procedures. A small set of children's schoolwork, a Mende grammar book, and an audio recording of children's schooling is included.

Biographical / historical:

Reggie and Celeste Hodges met as Peace Corps volunteers in 1969, when both were stationed in Sierra Leone. Reggie was originally from Durham, N.C., and attended North Carolina Central University. Celeste was originally from Chicago. They married in 1972 and stayed in Sierra Leone to raise their family. The couple worked at several non-profits in West Africa for the next 20 years. They eventually relocated to Durham, N.C., in 2000.

In preparing to donate this collection to the Rubenstein Library, the Hodges included a summary text (excerpted here):

"All photos (except one) were taken by Celeste and Reggie Hodges. Photo credit goes to both of us. We were together for many of the pictures, we shared cameras, and we intentionally don't know which of us snapped particular pictures. The one exception is print-049, which was provided by the subject, Madam Honoria Bailor-Caulker."

"If we'd known in the 1970s that Duke would want our photos 50+ years later, we would have done things differently. We began taking photos as Peace Corps Volunteers in the late 1960s simply because we enjoyed photography and wanted to capture memories of village life. We gave no thought to future use. In 1971 we moved to a town with electricity and running water, set up a darkroom and learned how to develop black and white film and make prints. Sharing prints with the subjects of our photos made it easier to take more pictures and that's what we did."

"I created collections [digitally] by using keywords that came to mind and worked for me."

"If a print is the primary existing format, it is numbered as Print_xxx. If a print is from a Negative or Slide that Duke has, it is numbered as Neg_XXX or Slide_XXX."

Beyond this collection, the Hodges have collected hundreds of examples of African art, carvings, and textiles, from creators across Africa. Recently they have donated much of the collection to American universities and art museums such as the Nasher Museum and the North Carolina Museum of Art.

Source: https://reggieceleste.com/

Acquisition information:
The Celeste and Reggie Hodges Collection was received by the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book Manuscript Library as a gift in 2023.
Processing information:

Processed by Mary Mellon and Meghan Lyon, June 2024

Accessions described in this collection guide: 2023-0137

Arrangement:

Materials are arranged by format.

Physical facet:
Approximately 550 digital images with accompanying use copies.
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Contents

Using These Materials

Using These Materials Links:

Using These Materials

Restrictions:

Access note. Some materials in this collection are electronic records that may need to be reformatted. Access copies of electronic records require special equipment. Contact Research Services for access.

Access restricted. Original negatives are closed to use except by curator permission. All original negatives have been scanned and digital access copies are available for request.

Access note. Collection contains fragile audiovisual formats which may need to be reformatted before use. Contact Research Services for access.

Terms of access:

The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to Duke University. For more information, consult the Rubenstein Library's Citations, Permissions, and Copyright guide.

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Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Celeste and Reggie Hodges Collection, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University.

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https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/m1bq8n