About
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
The George Eastman Museum releases an album of George Eastman’s favorite tunes
Rochester, N.Y., September 24, 2018—The George Eastman Museum has announced the official release of Eastman’s Favorites, a new album of George Eastman’s most beloved songs performed on his original Aeolian pipe organ—recorded live in the historic mansion. The 27 tracks were performed by Eastman Museum resident organist Joe Blackburn. The album will be available for purchase online and in the Museum Store for $20 (including tax) with all proceeds benefiting the George Eastman Museum.
George Eastman Museum offers FREE admission on September 22
Rochester, N.Y., September 6, 2018—The George Eastman Museum will be open to the public for FREE on Saturday, September 22, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. In the spirit of Smithsonian magazine’s Museum Day, the Eastman Museum is opening its doors to all visitors for the day to encourage the Rochester community to experience the photography exhibitions David Levinthal: War, Myth, Desire and Gail Albert Halaban: Out My Window, and the History of Photography Gallery, as well as hands-on activities for all ages in the Discovery Room.
Actor and photographer Jason Lee to speak at the George Eastman Museum on August 23
Rochester, N.Y., June 27, 2018—The George Eastman Museum welcomes actor and photographer Jason Lee to Rochester on Thursday, August 23. Lee will present a special edition Wish You Were Here talk in the Dryden Theatre at 6 p.m., followed by a signing of his new photo book, A Plain View.
The George Eastman Museum appoints Jacqueline DiStefano as Vice President, Finance and Operations
Rochester, N.Y., June 11, 2018—The George Eastman Museum has appointed Jacqueline DiStefano, CPA as Vice President, Finance and Operations. She will be responsible for overseeing the activities of the accounting and finance, human resources, and information technology departments of the museum, as well as the Eastman Museum’s shop and cafe. DiStefano will be succeeding Thomas J. Combs, who is retiring, and will begin in her new role on July 16.
Gail Albert Halaban: Out My Window will open at the George Eastman Museum on July 7
Rochester, N.Y., May 30, 2018—Gail Albert Halaban: Out My Window will be on view at the George Eastman Museum beginning July 7. The exhibition will include artist Gail Albert Halaban’s photographs from the earliest to the most recent phases of her project, which until now has been seen only as discrete bodies of work from New York and Paris. This show features images made in cities all over the world, including Buenos Aires, Istanbul, New York, Paris, Rome, Seoul, Utrecht, and Venice, and showcases what urban neighbors see when they look across the street.
The George Eastman Museum appoints Katie Kalkstein as Director of Annual Giving
Rochester, N.Y., May 23, 2018—The George Eastman Museum has hired Katie Kalkstein as its Director of Annual Giving. Kalkstein will be responsible for managing the museum’s individual and corporate memberships as well as managing the museum’s annual fund campaign.
The George Eastman Museum appoints Jared Case as Curator of Film Exhibitions
Rochester, N.Y., May 21, 2018—The George Eastman Museum has announced the appointment of Jared Case to curator of film exhibitions. Case will be responsible for curating the screenings in the museum’s Dryden Theatre, assisting with moving image-related exhibitions, and facilitating film program collaborations with community partners.. Jurij Meden, who held the position for the past four years, has accepted a position as the Head of Film Programming at the Austrian Film Museum in Vienna.
The George Eastman Museum seeks funding for ongoing restoration projects throughout the historic mansion
Rochester, N.Y., May 9, 2018—The George Eastman Museum is hosting a community forum on Wednesday, May 16, at 6 p.m., to share information about its historic mansion restoration program and update community members about the next phase.
John Landis and Deborah Nadoolman Landis to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Animal House at the George Eastman Museum
Rochester, N.Y., May 8, 2018—The George Eastman Museum will celebrate the 40th anniversary of Animal House (Landis, US 1978) with a screening of a 35mm print of the film on Saturday, July 7 at 7:30 p.m. The film’s director, John Landis, and its costume designer, Deborah Nadoolman Landis, will introduce the film and, after the screening, will share stories and insights about the making of this classic.
Garden Vibes summer concert series returns to the George Eastman Museum on June 20
Rochester, N.Y., May 7, 2018—The Garden Vibes summer concert series will return to the George Eastman Museum this summer. The outdoor concerts will take place on the following Wednesday evenings: June 20, July 18, and August 15.
George Eastman Museum reveals film titles screening this weekend at the 4th Nitrate Picture Show
Rochester, N.Y., May 4, 2018—The George Eastman Museum has released the official program for this weekend’s 4th Nitrate Picture Show, the world’s first festival of film conservation. Following a day of workshops, behind-the-scenes tours, and talks in the Dryden, the 4th Nitrate Picture Show will begin its official program at 4:30 p.m. today with a series of six short nitrate films, followed by Sommarlek (Summer Interlude, Ingmar Bergman, Sweden 1951) at 7:30 p.m., and conclude the day with Holiday (George Cukor, US 1938), starring Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant, at 10 p.m.
Countdown to the 4th Nitrate Picture Show at the George Eastman Museum May 4–6
Rochester, N.Y., April 30, 2018—The George Eastman Museum will present the 4th Nitrate Picture Show on May 4–6, 2018, at the Dryden Theatre in Rochester, NY. The 4th Nitrate Picture Show has been generously funded by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and Imagine Monroe (powered by COMIDA). The schedule for this year’s festival includes ten programs of feature-length and short films from eleven international archives and collections. The titles in this year’s lineup will be revealed at 9 a.m. on Friday, May 4.
"Eastman Entertains: At The Movies" Tabletop Displays return to the George Eastman Museum May 8–20
Rochester, N.Y., April 2, 2018—The George Eastman Museum has announced that its popular Eastman Entertains: At the Movies, will be on view from Tuesday, May 8, through Sunday, May 20. For two weeks only, a spectacular array of creatively styled table settings and floral arrangements inspired by popular motion pictures—including My Fair Lady, A League of Their Own, Steel Magnolias, and The Goonies—will be displayed throughout the mansion of entrepreneur and philanthropist George Eastman.
A rare nitrate film screening of Laurence Olivier’s Hamlet (1948) ushers in the 4th Nitrate Picture Show
Rochester, N.Y., February 14, 2018—In anticipation of the 4th Nitrate Picture Show, the George Eastman Museum will host a special pre-festival event with a screening of a rare nitrate print of Hamlet (Laurence Olivier, UK 1948) on Thursday, May 3 at 7:30 p.m. The film is on loan from the Library of Congress. The 4th Nitrate Picture Show will officially begin at 9 a.m. on Friday, May 4, when the full program of film titles to be shown at the festival will be announced.
George Eastman Museum receives extensive collection of photographs by David Levinthal
Rochester, N.Y., February 6, 2018—The George Eastman Museum has acquired a large and comprehensive collection of photographs by David Levinthal as a result of donations from an anonymous patron and from Donald Rosenfeld Jr. The museum is now the most significant repository of Levinthal’s art in the world. The Eastman Museum will premiere the retrospective David Levinthal: War, Myth, Desire on June 2, 2018. The exhibition will run through December 30, 2018.
The George Eastman Museum celebrates 90 Years of the Academy Awards
Rochester, N.Y., January 23, 2018—The George Eastman Museum will be celebrating the 90th Academy Awards with a 23-film series at the Dryden through April, a special event with Jack Garner on February 16 discussing his award winner predictions, and a day of past Best Picture winners screening at Kodak Center on March 3.
Dutch Connection floral show returns to the George Eastman Museum for two weeks only, beginning February 9
Rochester, N.Y., January 11, 2018—The George Eastman Museum brings springtime to Rochester a few months early, with the annual Dutch Connection floral show, on view Friday, February 9, through Sunday, February 25. This colorful two-week display features thousands of flowering bulbs in George Eastman’s historic mansion.
George Eastman Museum to premiere "Dreaming in Color: The Davide Turconi Collection of Early Cinema"
Rochester, N.Y., January 9, 2017—Dreaming in Color: The Davide Turconi Collection of Early Cinema will open at the George Eastman Museum on January 13. Dreaming in Color is dedicated to a unique collection of more than 23,000 original nitrate frames of 35mm films dating from the early years of cinema (1897–1915). The frames were gathered by Italian film historian Davide Turconi (1911–2005) in the 1960s from a large collection of films acquired by Jesuit priest Josef-Alexis Joye (1852–1919).
George Eastman House announces special Wish You Were Here lecture on January 9 with NASA astronaut Donald Pettit
Rochester, N.Y., December 31, 2013—George Eastman House has announced that it will be extending its Wish You Were Here lecture series into the new year with chemical engineer, NASA astronaut, and photographer Donald Pettit, PhD. Pettit will present his lecture, An Astronaut’s Guide to Photography in Space, on Thursday, January 9, 2014, at 6 p.m. in the Dryden Theatre.
George Eastman House announces Dr. Lisa Hostetler as Curator-in-Charge of its Department of Photography
Rochester, N.Y., November 8, 2013—George Eastman House announced today the appointment of Lisa Hostetler, PhD, as Curator-in-Charge of its Department of Photography. She will assume this role prior to year-end.
Hostetler brings almost 20 years of academic and museum experience to her new position with George Eastman House. She is currently the McEvoy Family Curator for Photography at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C.
History of Space Photography and Astro-Visions Open at George Eastman House on October 26
Rochester, N.Y., October 23, 2013—George Eastman House will open two exhibitions on October 26 that will be on view through January 12, 2014: The History of Space Photography and Astro-Visions. The History of Space Photography showcases a variety of astronomical photographs that have been created since the development of photography in the early 19th century, and will feature a number of the most important scientific photographs ever created. To complement The History of Space Photography, Eastman House has organized Astro-Visions, which draws from its rich collections to explore how scientists, photographers, and filmmakers have incorporated images of outer space into their work.
George Eastman House to host U.S. premiere of rediscovered film directed by Orson Welles on October 16 in Rochester, N.Y.
Rochester, N.Y., September 6, 2013—George Eastman House, located in Rochester, NY, will host the exclusive U.S. premiere of the newly discovered Too Much Johnson (1938), a Mercury Theatre film directed by Orson Welles, on Wednesday, October 16, 2013.
Surround sound returns to Eastman House with new Aeolian organ
Rochester, N.Y., August 16, 2013—George Eastman’s house is once again home to the world’s largest residential pipe organ. A team of volunteers alongside Parsons Pipe Organ Builders—the same family and company that serviced Eastman’s pipe organ decades ago—completed the reinstallation of the north organ in July with the support of Dr. Richard Zipf. The interesting tale of how the new organ made its way to Rochester will conclude with the first public concerts the weekend of September 21 and 22.
George Eastman House hires Daniela Currò, Kellie Fraver, and Molly Tarbell
Rochester, N.Y., July 15, 2013—George Eastman House has hired Daniela Currò as preservation officer in its motion picture department; and Kellie Fraver as public relations manager and Molly Tarbell as copy editor and publications coordinator, both in the museum’s communications and engagement department.
Roger Corman to receive George Eastman Award
Rochester, N.Y., June 27, 2013—George Eastman House will honor Academy Award®-winner Roger Corman with the George Eastman Award, the museum’s highest honor in motion pictures, on Saturday, November 2. The award recognizes Corman’s distinguished contribution to the art of film. In accepting the honor, Corman joins the company of such film legends as Charles Chaplin, Cecil B. DeMille, Gary Cooper, Gregory Peck, Jimmy Stewart, Audrey Hepburn, Kim Novak, Martin Scorsese, Meryl Streep, and Richard Gere. The George Eastman Award was established in 1955 as the first retrospective film award to honor artistic work of enduring value.
George Eastman House Photo Finish 5K hits the streets Oct. 5 — this single fundraiser has raised over $500,000 for more than 60 Rochester causes
Rochester, N.Y., June 17, 2013—Using social media to fundraise across generations -- in the spirit of George Eastman’s philanthropic legacy -- the George Eastman House Photo Finish 5K returns for its third year Saturday, Oct. 5, to raise funds for Rochester non-profit causes. This “philanthropy challenge” is a new way of fundraising, allowing dozens of organizations to raise funds via a single event, and Rochester has embraced it. Over the past two years, nearly 2,000 runners and walkers participated in the race, raising over half a million dollars for more than 60 non-profit organizations in and around the Rochester community.
The Gender Show explores how photographs have presented gender from 19th century to today
Rochester, N.Y., June 5, 2013—George Eastman House’s exhibition The Gender Show will explore how photographs, from the mid-19th century to today, have portrayed gender — from archetypal to non-traditional to subversive representations — with a special emphasis on the performances that the act of photographing or being photographed can encourage or capture. The Gender Show, presenting over 200 works, draws primarily from the Eastman House collection, which spans more than 170 years, and also features contemporary art photographs and videos on loan from artists and private collectors. The exhibition will be on view from June 15 through October 13, 2013.
George Eastman House celebrates 20th season of Garden Vibes concert series
Rochester, N.Y., June 3, 2013—The Garden Vibes summer concert series at George Eastman House is celebrating its 20th year by shaking things up. The outdoor concerts are now being held on Wednesday evenings, once a month from June through August. Picnic on the Eastman House lawn, relax with friends, and enjoy family-fun activities, while at the same time basking in George Eastman’s historic Townson Terrace Garden and surrounding grounds. Concerts are 6 to 8 p.m.
George Eastman House is first photography museum to join Google Art Project, pairing zoom-in technology with high-res images
Rochester, N.Y., April 3, 2013—George Eastman House announced today it is adding high-resolution photographs to the Google Art Project, offering yet another platform to share its unparalleled collections. Eastman House, the world’s oldest museum of photography, is the first museum of photography to be selected for inclusion in the Google Art Project. The resolution of the images combined with a custom-built zoom viewer allows users the ability to discover details never before seen. In addition Eastman House has included all available cataloging data, allowing viewers access to information not previously available online.
Dryden Theatre welcomes Oscar-nominated filmmaker James Ivory Saturday, April 6
Rochester, N.Y., March 15, 2013—The Dryden Theatre at George Eastman House International Museum of Photography & Film welcomes Oscar®-nominated filmmaker and George Eastman Honorary Scholar James Ivory (Room with a View, Remains of the Day, Howard’s End) on Saturday, April 6, as part of the ongoing celebrating of the reopening of the renovated Dryden Theatre. At 8 p.m. he will introduce his 1995 film Jefferson in Paris and engage in a Q&A with the audience following the screening. Tickets are $12 general admission and $10 for students and are on sale now.
Alison Nordström to assume new role at George Eastman House, focusing on exhibitions and books
Rochester, N.Y., February 5, 2013—George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film announced today that Dr. Alison Nordström, Senior Curator of Photographs, will assume the new position of Curator-at-Large, effective July 1, 2013. The museum has begun an international search for her replacement as head of the Department of Photographs.
Graham Nash to visit Eastman House; to be named George Eastman Honorary Scholar
Rochester, N.Y., Decemeber 15, 2010—Witness history as photographer and musician Graham Nash receives the title of George Eastman Honorary Scholar, and discusses his career and the Taking Aim exhibition, at 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 22 in the Dryden Theatre.
University of Rochester and George Eastman House Announce Collaborative Alliance
Rochester, N.Y., December 10, 2010—The University of Rochester and George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film, the world’s preeminent museum of imaging, have entered into an alliance to further public engagement, research and education in the arts and sciences, with a focus on the museum’s photography and motion-picture collections. This will be the most extensive museum and university alliance of this type in existence.
Dryden Theatre welcomes Oscar®-winning filmmaker Robin Lehman Friday, Dec. 10
Rochester, N.Y., November 17, 2010—The Dryden Theatre at George Eastman House will host Rochester-based filmmaker and two-time Oscar® winner Robin Lehman at 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 10. Screening that evening will be three of Lehman’s thought-provoking films, featuring the pure, wordless cinema of his celebrated short films, his signature cinematography, and his moving and humor-filled documentary Forever Young. Lehman will introduce the films and talk with the audience following the screenings.
Chautauqua, Kodak and Eastman House present history-making week on photography
Rochester, N.Y., July 23, 2010—Chautauqua Institution is partnering with Eastman Kodak Company and George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film for a week unlike any other offered in the Institution’s history — exploring the world of photography with world-renowned speakers, interactive exhibits and activities, and an onsite social media center designed to share the experience with the world.
Dryden Theatre celebrates the films of Cary Grant
Rochester, N.Y., June 17, 2010—The Dryden Theatre at George Eastman House will present a series of six films in July and August starring Cary Grant, whose name remains synonymous with the glamour of Hollywood’s Golden Age. The Dryden series, titled “Cary Grant Comedies,” showcases some of his most famous screwball comedies alongside leading ladies Marilyn Monroe, Katharine Hepburn, Ginger Rogers, and Sophia Loren.
Dryden Theatre celebrates the 100th Anniversary of Kurosawa
Rochester, N.Y., June 17, 2010—The Dryden Theatre at George Eastman House is showcasing the films of Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa (1910-1998), one of cinema’s most recognized directors, with a retrospective in August titled “Akira Kurosawa Centennial.” This year marks the 100th anniversary of Kurosawa’s birth and the Dryden is celebrating by screening six of his popular and lesser-known titles.
George Eastman House welcomes filmmaker Ken Burns and his writing partner Geoffrey C. Ward Friday, Aug. 13
Rochester, N.Y., June 17, 2010—George Eastman House welcomes back filmmaker Ken Burns, along with his long-time writing partner Geoffrey C. Ward, for an intimate talk on the Dryden Theatre stage at 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 13. “An Evening with Ken Burns & Geoffrey C. Ward” will offer an insider’s look at their artistic approaches and processes, as they talk about advancing an idea into an award-winning film. Burns and Ward each will receive the George Eastman Medal of Honor.
George Eastman House acquires Kodak’s Colorama archive
Rochester, N.Y., June 11, 2010—George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film celebrates the 60th anniversary of the Kodak Colorama — the gigantic panoramic images that dominated Grand Central Terminal for 40 years, from 1950 to 1990 — with an international touring exhibition titled Colorama debuting June 19, on view at Eastman House through Oct. 17, 2010. At the same time, Eastman House is announcing Eastman Kodak Company has donated its Colorama archive to the museum.
From daguerreotypes to digital photo albums — photography workshops return to Eastman House
Rochester, N.Y., May 12, 2010—After a decade of training the world’s top photograph conservators via a dedicated post-graduate fellowship program, George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film announces it is again offering Photography Workshops to the public, of varying levels of interest and expertise — photographers, curators, educators, artists, or those interested in the art form.
Press Contact
Eliza Kozlowski
Senior Director of Marketing and Engagement
George Eastman Museum
(585) 327-4860
[email protected]