About George Eastman Museum
Founded in 1947, the George Eastman Museum is the world’s oldest photography museum and one of the largest film archives in the United States, located on the historic Rochester estate of entrepreneur and philanthropist George Eastman, the pioneer of popular photography. Its holdings comprise more than 450,000 photographs; 28,000 motion picture films; the world’s preeminent collection of photographic and cinematographic technology; one of the leading libraries of books related to photography and cinema; and extensive holdings of documents and other objects related to George Eastman. As a research and teaching institution, the Eastman Museum has an active publishing program and makes critical contributions in the fields of film preservation and photographic conservation.
Current Press Releases
Original Technicolor Nitrate Print of Becky Sharp (1935) to Open Ninth Nitrate Picture Show at George Eastman Museum
Rochester, N.Y., Thursday, April 17, 2025—The stunning original Technicolor nitrate print of Becky Sharp (1935) will open the ninth Nitrate Picture Show, Thursday, May 29 at 7:30 p.m. at the George Eastman Museum’s Dryden Theatre. |
George Eastman Museum to Present Conversation with Renowned Artist Liz Deschenes
With her exhibition Frames per Second (Silent) as a focus, Liz Deschenes will be in conversation with Phil Taylor, associate curator at the George Eastman Museum, on Wednesday, April 2 at 6 p.m. in the Dryden Theatre.
The Dryden Theatre and The Little Theatre Come Together to Honor Legendary Director David Lynch
With the passing of David Lynch in January, modern cinema lost one of its enigmatic masters. Over a career of forty-five years, Lynch touched the worlds of television, film, music, and more. To honor his life and celebrate his work, the Dryden Theatre and The Little Theatre are collaborating to bring some of Lynch’s iconic, groundbreaking work to downtown Rochester cinemas in the best way possible—on the big screen.
George Eastman Museum to Host 90-Second Newbery Film Festival to Encourage Reading and Media Literacy Among Youth
On Saturday, April 5 from 2 to 4 p.m., join representatives from the George Eastman Museum, Writers & Books, and KidsOutAndAbout.com in the Dryden Theatre for the 90-Second Newbery Film Festival, a program of short films by children and teens.
George Eastman Museum to celebrate Home Movie Day, a free worldwide event on March 22
On March 22 the George Eastman Museum will present Home Movie Day, bringing this free, worldwide event to Rochester, New York.
George Eastman Museum presents creative works by student artists in "Flower City Arts Center Studio 678 Photo Club" exhibition
Creative works by student artists who are a part of the Flower City Arts Center’s Studio 678 Photo Club will be presented in the George Eastman Museum’s community gallery, Gallery Obscura, from March 15 through May 11. These photographs and texts are inspired by the students’ vision of the world around them.
Free panel discussion at George Eastman Museum to mark the close of "Evoke: A Youthful Expression" exhibition
On Saturday, March 8, 2025 at 11 a.m. student artists involved in In Control, Planned Parenthood of Central and Western New York's creative arts programs for teens, will participate in a panel discussion sharing their experiences in photography, music, fashion design, radio, and media.
New Wish You Were Here Lecture Series at George Eastman Museum
George Eastman Museum Celebrates Women’s History Month Through Photography, Film, and Performance
Lindsay McIntyre’s Ajjigiingiluktaaqtugut (We Are All Different) forms a remarkable statement about Indigenous identity
Dutch Connection: A Sweet Reminder That Spring Is On Its Way
Dryden Theatre to present six complimentary screenings in February to celebrate Black History Month
In celebration of Black History Month, the Dryden Theatre will present six complimentary screenings, organized by the George Eastman Museum. Complimentary admission to all films is sponsored by Nocon & Associates, a private wealth advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC., and media partner 103.9 WDKX
Dates and Titles
George Eastman Museum Council Celebrates Valentine's Day With Brunch & Film Event
From Rochester, With Love Film Series Celebrates Local Artists’ Contributions to Cinema
George Eastman Museum Presents Liz Deschenes: Frames per Second (Silent)
George Eastman Museum showcases work of In Control teen workshop artists
The George Eastman Museum presents the exhibition Evoke: A Youthful Expression, on view through March 9, 2025, showcasing the work of student artist participants of In Control, a program of Planned Parenthood of Central and Western New York.
George Eastman Museum celebrates 75th anniversary with new exhibition exploring history of photography
Goldie Hawn to Receive George Eastman Award
The George Eastman Museum will honor actor Goldie Hawn with the George Eastman Award for distinguished contribution to the art of cinema on Tuesday, October 22.
George Eastman Museum to present the work of Stanley Wolukau-Wanambwa in October
The George Eastman Museum is delighted to announce the forthcoming exhibition, Scene at Eastman, which will open on October 25, 2024 and close on April 20, 2025. The exhibition will comprise a set of photographs and sculptures made in aluminum, glass, concrete, paper, tin, and other materials. The photographs and sculptures in Scene at Eastman (“the works”) describe various acts and instances of apprehension, of address, of attendance to the presence of others. Some objects are original, others appropriated. The viewer’s own practice of looking is solicited by the works.
George Eastman Museum receives $98,220 grant from Helen Frankenthaler Foundation’s Frankenthaler Climate Initiative
The George Eastman Museum has received a grant award of $98,220 from the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation’s Frankenthaler Climate Initiative—the largest private national grantmaking program to support climate change action at cultural institutions and the first nationwide program of its kind for the visual arts. The grant supports the installation of a new LED lighting system in the museum’s Main Galleries and adjacent exhibition spaces.
George Eastman Museum to unveil rare screen test of Adele Astaire
To commemorate the 125th anniversary of the birth of American dancer, actor, singer, and choreographer Fred Astaire, the George Eastman Museum is pleased to announce the online publication of a unique piece of film history: a 1936 screen test of Astaire’s sister Adele, a Broadway legend in her own right. This is the only known footage of her acting and singing. Unseen for nearly ninety years, it will now be accessible to the public, going live at eastman.org/dark-victory-test on Wednesday, May 8, 2024.
George Eastman Museum to present candid exhibition on the life and impact of George Eastman
The George Eastman Museum has announced the next phase of a multiyear project to create a new exhibition on George Eastman’s life and legacy. The George Eastman Story Lab, which will open on Saturday, May 18 in the mansion’s second-floor Sitting Room, will offer visitors the opportunity to provide feedback on the direction of the future exhibition.
A rare nitrate film screening of D.W. Griffith’s Intolerance (1916) ushers in the 8th Nitrate Picture Show
To kick off the eighth annual Nitrate Picture Show, the George Eastman Museum will screen a unique tinted nitrate print of D.W. Griffith’s silent masterpiece Intolerance (1916) on Thursday, May 30 at 6:30 p.m. The Nitrate Picture Show is the first festival in the world entirely dedicated to screening original nitrate prints from the 1910s to the 1950s, from silent cinema to Technicolor spectacles. The full program of film titles being shown this year will be announced at a press conference at 10 a.m.
George Eastman Museum appoints Michelle Finn as Curator of the George Eastman Collection
The George Eastman Museum has appointed historian and curator Michelle Finn, PhD, as curator of the George Eastman Collection, with responsibility for George Eastman’s 35,000‑square-foot mansion, its contents, and archival materials comprising more than 200,000 items. Finn will start in the position on April 15.
New Directions: Recent Acquisitions photography exhibition opens at the George Eastman Museum
The George Eastman Museum continues its 75th anniversary celebration with the opening of the exhibition New Directions: Recent Acquisitions on Saturday, March 16 in the Project Gallery. New Directions features work acquired by the museum over the past five years, and showcases significant developments in photographic practice.
New exhibition Crashing into the 60s: Film Posters from the Collection opens at the George Eastman Museum
The George Eastman Museum begins the celebration of its 75th anniversary with a visual journey back to the 1960s. The museum’s newest exhibition, Crashing into the 60s: Film Posters from the Collection, opens Friday, February 2 in its Main Galleries and Potter Peristyle. This exhibition features film posters from the extensive George Eastman Museum collection. In addition, a film series connecting to and expanding upon many of the posters displayed in the exhibition will run in the Dryden Theatre through the exhibition’s run in September.
The George Eastman Museum’s Wish You Were Here lecture series returns on January 25
The George Eastman Museum has announced the winter/spring lineup for its Wish You Were Here lecture series. For over 20 years, this popular photography lecture series has brought artists and photojournalists to Rochester to share their stories and photographs from around the world. The 2024 series will kick off on Thursday, January 25 at 6 p.m., with photographer Gregory Halpern.
The George Eastman Museum presents the 8th Nitrate Picture Show from May 30-June 2, 2024
The George Eastman Museum receives $250,000 grant from the IMLS
The George Eastman Museum has received a grant award of $250,000 from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) through its Museums for America program to support its project Lost and Found: Classic Pakistani Cinema. The grant will allow the museum to identify, catalogue, repair, and clean 135 rare and fragile films from the Anwar Shiekh film collection. This project builds upon film conservation work that began in 2020 with a previous IMLS grant award for cataloging and conservation of more than 1,000 South Asian films.
George Eastman Museum to offer new scholarship to empower future Black students
The George Eastman Museum announces the creation of the Diedrea D. Tisdale Memorial Scholarship, a fund which will support the tuition for a future Black student at the museum’s L. Jeffrey Selznick School of Film Preservation in its certificate program for the 2024-25 academic year.
New Selections from the Collection Items Explore Photo Technology and Trends Throughout History at the Eastman Museum
The George Eastman Museum presents Selections from the Collection, the newest display of items from the museum's photography vaults on view in the Collection Gallery, starting Saturday, September 30.
Gregory Halpern: 19 winters / 7 springs opens at the George Eastman Museum
The George Eastman Museum will present the works of photographer Gregory Halpern (American, b. 1977). The exhibition, 19 winters / 7 springs, will open at the museum on Saturday, September 16, 2023, and will run through Sunday, March 3, 2024.
George Eastman Museum Presents Magic Lantern Show at Rochester Fringe Festival
The George Eastman Museum is proud to present Nellie Bly Around the World in 72 Days: A Magic Lantern Show as part of the 2023 Rochester Fringe Festival on Thursday, September 21 at 7 p.m. on the museum’s East Lawn. More information about the George Eastman Museum event, including ticket information, is available at eastman.org. Tickets for all Rochester Fringe Festival (Tuesday, Sept. 12 – Saturday, Sept. 23) events are now on sale at rochesterfringe.com, where more information is also available.
George Eastman Museum Presents Magic Lantern Show at Rochester Fringe Festival
The George Eastman Museum is proud to present Nellie Bly Around the World in 72 Days: A Magic Lantern Show as part of the 2023 Rochester Fringe Festival on Thursday, September 21 at 7 p.m. on the museum’s East Lawn. More information about the George Eastman Museum event, including ticket information, is available at eastman.org. Tickets for all Rochester Fringe Festival (Tuesday, Sept. 12 – Saturday, Sept. 23) events are now on sale at rochesterfringe.com, where more information is also available.
George Eastman Museum appoints Daniel Peacock as curator in its Department of Photography
The George Eastman Museum has appointed Daniel Peacock as an assistant curator in its Department of Photography. In his new role, Peacock will research the museum’s collection, collaborate on collection development, curate exhibitions at the museum, and author or contribute to scholarly publications. Peacock began in the position in July 2023.
George Eastman Museum to host community forum to request funding for the Rock Garden's Grape Arbor project
The George Eastman Museum will host a community forum in the museum's Multipurpose Hall at 6 p.m. on Monday, June 26, to inform the public about the significant restoration projects that are underway to sustain the museum's National Historic Landmark.
Gillian Laub’s Southern Rites exhibition comes to the George Eastman Museum
The George Eastman Museum announced today the opening of Gillian Laub: Southern Rites, an exhibition featuring American photographer and filmmaker Gillian Laub. The exhibition will be on display in the museum’s main galleries from June 30 through the end of 2023.
Southern Rites is a powerful photographic exploration of racial tensions and discrimination in the American South. Laub spent over two decades documenting the lives and experiences of individuals in Montgomery County, Ga., a community marked by deep-seated racial divisions.
Resistance and Rescue: Denmark and the Holocaust exhibition opens at the George Eastman Museum
The George Eastman Museum announced today the opening of Resistance and Rescue: Denmark and the Holocaust, an exhibition featuring American photographer Judy Glickman Lauder’s portraits of Danes who participated in rescuing Jews from deportation by Germany during World War II—and of Jews who were rescued. The portraits, taken in the early 1990s, are each accompanied by the story of the individual’s experience. The exhibition will be presented in the museum’s new Gallery Obscura through October 1.
George Eastman Museum honors Jodie Foster with the George Eastman Award
The George Eastman Museum honored Jodie Foster with the George Eastman Award Thursday evening in front of a packed crowd. The George Eastman Award, established in 1955, is the museum’s highest honor in motion pictures and recognizes Foster’s distinguished contributions to the art of film.
Garden Vibes Concert Series returns to the George Eastman Museum this summer
The Garden Vibes summer concert series will return to the George Eastman Museum this summer after a three-year hiatus due to construction on the mansion and in the gardens. The museum will host the outdoor concerts on June 14, July 19, and August 16 on the east lawn, located on the east side of the mansion next to the Schuyler C. Townson Terrace Garden.