Here’s Looking at You

When we created the Thomas Tischer Visitor Center, the historic Palm House — which had been underutilized for many years — became the primary seating area for patrons of the museum’s popular new eatery, Open Face at Eastman Museum.

The Palm House has been further enlivened by a reproduction of the large neon sign that was installed above the entrance of Rick’s Cafe Americain in the classic film Casablanca (Michael Curtiz, 1942). Full of unforgettable scenes and performances, Casablanca is among the most beloved and esteemed American films. The original sign was designed by Carl Jules Weyl, the celebrated art director at Warner Bros.

Our custom-made sign was donated by a generous benefactor of the visitor center project as a symbol and reminder of the George Eastman Museum’s steadfast commitment to rescuing, preserving, restoring, and presenting classic films.

For me, nothing can replace watching a motion picture on film in a well-maintained classic movie house. Last night, I was heartened and excited when a longtime George Eastman Society member told me that her 14-year-old grandson loves movies and, in particular, seeing them at the Dryden Theatre. During the COVID crisis, we may have become accustomed to a stream of endless entertainment via our televisions. Yet, there is still something special about the (safe) shared experience of a film at the Dryden, introduced by an expert, viewed in an immersive experience without interruptions, and perhaps followed by a discussion with others. It is a night out, an occasion, and we select and present the films — whether familiar favorites or less well-known — with our audience in mind. We hope that you will join us, vaccinated and masked, at the Dryden.

Since its founding, our institution has explored the role of technology in photography and cinema. From January 4 through March 27, during museum hours, we will present digital versions of three short films that were created using Eastman Kodak Company’s breakthrough color process now known as “two-color Kodachrome.” The films, made in the 1920s and preserved by the museum, include a show of Paris fashions, a selection of film outtakes, and a kaleidoscopic experimental test film.

The Nitrate Picture Show, the festival of film conservation, will return for its sixth year on June 2–5, 2022. The festival features screenings of vintage nitrate prints from international archives and the Eastman Museum’s own collection, as well as lectures from leading archivists. We invite you to experience the art and science of film preservation, from print conservation to archival projection. Film fans who have attended our festival before will tell you that the rare experience of watching original nitrate prints projected in the cinema, surrounded by other enthusiasts, really makes the Nitrate Picture Show unique. The visual sensory experience of watching a motion picture on nitrate stock is magical to me, every time. Festival tickets are now available online at eastman.org/nitrate-picture-show.

Meanwhile, the museum has undertaken a critical project to upgrade the environment at the Louis B. Mayer Conservation Center, in North Chili, New York, where we store our world-class collection of 24,000 reels of nitrate-based motion pictures. Among the classic works conserved here are the original Technicolor camera negatives for the Wizard of Oz (1939) and Gone with the Wind (1939). The fragile chemical composition of nitrate film requires an environment of balanced cold temperatures, controlled humidity, and air recirculation to prevent the buildup of gases released during the natural process of photochemical decomposition. While the environmental conditions throughout the facility exceed the national fire prevention requirements, excessive summertime heat and frequent brownouts threaten the longterm preservation of the films. The National Endowment for the Humanities has awarded the museum a $340,615 grant for this project. Fundraising for the remaining cost of the project continues.

From its earliest days, the George Eastman Museum has been internationally recognized as a leader in preserving films and has presented a rich offering of motion pictures to our community. We thank all of you who have supported and participated in these activities over the years.

Bruce Barnes, PhD

Ron and Donna Field Director

January/February 2022 Bulletin