Step inside Atlanta Worldwide Gallery, just off the Atlanta Beltline’s Eastside Trail, and you’re stepping into a love poem to Atlanta – written in 35mm film strips, ’96 Olympic pins, vintage Hawks warmup jackets, Peter Max Super Bowl XXVIII prints, and Old Atlanta nostalgia.
The camera shop-slash-art gallery-slash-vintage Atlanta emporium is owned, operated, and curated by Dave KA, a third-generation Atlantan best known for helping to shape the visuals of Southern hip hop music as a co-founder of Motion Family, the Atlanta-based production collective. At Atlanta Worldwide, KA trades fast edits for slower moments of discovery – sourcing analog cameras, ephemera, and art pieces that reflect his personal passions and city pride.
“It’s a collection of things I like,” KA says. “And somehow it turned into a camera store.”
A camera store moonlighting as a living museum.
Mixed among the vintage Bolexes and Polaroids for sale are Neon Deion–era posters, a Braves game crowd shot by “Panorama” Ray Herbert. Works by local street art legends like Vayne, Dr. Dax, Chilly-O, and Sever hang on the walls. And, in the back, there’s a CD demo station salvaged from the Tower Records on Peachtree.
Scenes from Atlanta Worldwide Gallery, where history, hip-hop, and hometown pride converge. Photos by Sherri Daye Scott.
Sourcing such treasures brings KA a sense of connection. Cameras and collectibles find their way to Atlanta Worldwide through estate sales, Scott Antique Markets, Facebook Marketplace postings, and the occasional drop-in with a box of collector’s items – and stories to go with them.
“I think something is healing about touching the past,” KA says. “That human interaction is what I missed in the creative industry. This space brought that back.”
Customers are a mix of true camera enthusiasts plus cool hunters old enough to appreciate the Freaknik ’96 glass on display but too young to have shot with the nearby Cabbage Patch Kids 110 camera – unironically. Both groups tend to find the store through social media.
Selling cameras and camcorders, many restored by KA himself, pay most of the bills, though Atlanta Worldwide does brisk business in memorabilia, too. So far this year, KA has sold 292 of those ’96 Olympics pins. He tracks it on an app. Vinyl records sell fast, especially anything Atlanta hip-hop or rap.
- Related:
- The Games in Black & White’ and the partnership at the center of the 1996 Olympics
- Newly reopened Delta Flight Museum brims with history and art
Running Atlanta Worldwide has been a creative exercise in itself for KA. He constantly moves merchandise around, experimenting with display and layout in response to how people interact with the space. “Sometimes you move something to a new shelf, and boom, it sells the next day,” he laughs. Consistent staffing remains a puzzle to solve. And, the need to keep things fresh means KA is constantly hunting for the next great find.
But he loves it. You can see it as he talks about the pieces he’s found and the people he’s met.
“This is all for fun,” KA says. “If I didn’t enjoy it, I wouldn’t do it. The challenge is figuring out how to make something look cool—but still retail friendly. It’s a lot of trial and error. Learning from other people.”
Inside and out, Atlanta Worldwide Gallery curates cameras, collectibles, and culture with vintage Atlanta pride. Photos by Sherri Daye Scott.
That desire to refine the Atlanta Worldwide retail experience is one of the reasons KA paused the underground events and pop-ups the store was known for when it first opened in 2022. The decision freed up time and attention KA is now able to spend showcasing his version of Atlanta—street art, hip hop, and sports—to weekend Beltline wanderers and fill a need for serious shutterbugs like him looking for cameras, film and community in the city.
“The interest and the need for a camera store in town allows me to buy cool things I like, play with them, test them, fix them – and then let them go,” KA says. “Through this, I’ve learned part of the process is letting go.”
Speaking of letting go … Got an old Canon or a bin of ’90s Atlanta music? Bring it by Atlanta Worldwide. KA would love to talk your ear off about point-and-shoots—or that Kilo Ali CD.
“Atlanta’s given me so much,” KA says. “I just wanted to give something back.”