Progress on Mansion Galleries and Exhibitions

The first phase of a major project that will transform our visitors’ experience, the renovation of George Eastman’s mansion to create six new galleries for a long-term exhibition on George Eastman, has been completed. A new user-operated elevator now enables our visitors with limited mobility to easily travel between the first and second floors of the mansion without use of George Eastman’s elevator, which must be operated by a staff member and will no longer be used by the general public. There are also two new gender-neutral lavatories on the mansion’s first floor, and three new gender-neutral lavatories on its second floor. 

During our Sweet Creations displays for the holidays, we will encourage visitors to enter the mansion through the new first-floor galleries, rather than through the historic dining room. This new suite of galleries will be entered through the double doors on the right side of the Bruce B. Bates Colonnade at the top of its ramp. The first gallery will serve as a means of access to the new elevator and lavatories. 

The George Eastman exhibition is scheduled to open to the public in fall 2026. On the first floor, the initial gallery will introduce the exhibition. The second gallery will review Eastman’s youth and his career before building the mansion in 1905. The third gallery will introduce his estate at 900 East Avenue, including its architecture and gardens, his life there, and his staff. 

Upon exiting the first-floor galleries, our visitors will be located just inside the door from the porte cochere—where George Eastman’s guests entered his residence. Visitors will then walk a few steps to enter the grand Conservatory. This route will provide a striking first impression of the restored spaces in the mansion.

On the second floor, there will be three more galleries dedicated to the George Eastman exhibition. The first gallery—where nineteenth-century photographic equipment was previously displayed—will examine many aspects of Eastman Kodak Company (and its predecessors) from their founding in 1880 through George Eastman’s death in 1932. The second gallery, with a beautifully arced ceiling, will highlight the entrepreneur and philanthropist’s lasting contributions to Rochester, nationally, and internationally. The third gallery will explore George Eastman’s personal life, leisure travel, and recreation. A final gallery will present objects from our technology collection that show the evolution of popular photography—from the first Kodak camera model (1888) to current handheld devices—which has now realized Eastman’s ultimate goal to “make the camera as convenient as the pencil.” Our goal is to open the camera exhibit in early 2026. 

We are grateful to the government agencies, private foundations, and individuals who collectively have contributed more than $3,600,000 for this renovation and exhibition project. Leadership funding was provided by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. Other major supporters include the Lisk Morris Foundation; Empire State Development; Thomas N. Tischer, PhD; 7Crest Financial Partners, a wealth advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC; and the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The new elevator has been supported by grants from the William and Sheila Konar Foundation and the Daisy Marquis Jones Foundation.

Additional contributions of about $800,000 will be necessary for this transformative overall project to be fully funded. We have begun the second stage of our fundraising efforts. In this phase, we are offering naming opportunities for individual galleries or suites of galleries. We hope that you will consider making a special contribution to our campaign—and investing in the George Eastman Museum’s continued progress. For more information on opportunities to support this milestone project, please contact Cynthia Pacia at (585) 327-4882 or [email protected].