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
George Eastman Museum receives a $600,000 grant for the restoration of its historic garden structures
Rochester, N.Y., December 23, 2019—The George Eastman Museum has received a grant award of $600,000 for the restoration of the museum’s historic garden structures from the New York State Office for Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation through Title 9 of the Environmental Protection Act of 1993, in conjunction with the Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council. The restored structures on George Eastman’s estate, a National Historic Landmark, will include the pergola in the Schuyler C.
George Eastman Museum completes environmental improvements to preserve its world-class photography and technology collections
Rochester, N.Y., December 10, 2019—The George Eastman Museum recently completed a major upgrade to the crucial environmental conditions of its collection storage areas. The Environmental Improvements Implementation Project, at a total cost of $1,246,000, included the replacement and upgrade of 30-year-old systems that controlled the temperature and humidity for the photography vault, technology vault, and photography study center.
The George Eastman Museum presents the 6th Nitrate Picture Show from June 4-7, 2020
Rochester, N.Y., December 10, 2019—The George Eastman Museum will present the 6th Nitrate Picture Show from June 4 to 7, 2020 at the Dryden Theatre in Rochester, NY. The Nitrate Picture Show, the world’s festival of film conservation, will celebrate its 6th year with a new, extended lineup of nitrate prints on screen, workshops, and behind-the-scenes tours of the museum and its collection areas.
Make your own 35mm film and try your hand at Spirit Photography at the George Eastman Museum
Rochester, N.Y., December 3, 2019—The George Eastman Museum has announced its 2020 schedule of photography workshops. The museum is offering 19 hands-on workshops next year, including three brand-new offerings, including Handmade 35mm Black-and-White Film in April; Salt, Albumen, Collodion Printing Out Processes in July; and Lippmann Color Plates in August (Sold out; waitlist only). Registration is now open for all 2020 workshops at eastman.org/workshops.
The George Eastman Museum will break ground on new visitor center on January 6, 2020
Rochester, N.Y., November 18, 2019—The George Eastman Museum has announced it will break ground on January 6, 2020, for a new visitor center, which includes construction of the ESL Federal Credit Union Pavilion. The visitor center project, which involves relocating the museum’s main entrance to the west side of the building, is the most significant structural change to the museum since the gallery and collections building was constructed in 1989. The project is expected to be complete by July 2020.
The George Eastman Museum will host Filmi Worlds: A Festival of Indian Cinema November 21, 23 & 24
Rochester, N.Y., November 15, 2019—The George Eastman Museum, in partnership with the University of Rochester, the Eastman School of Music, and Hamilton College will present Filmi Worlds: A Festival of Indian Cinema at the Dryden Theatre on November 21. The festival continues on November 23 and 24. This three-day film festival and symposium will combine film screenings, scholarly talks, and public conversations about South Asian film.
The George Eastman Museum announces the release of The Art of Film Projection—A Beginner’s Guide
Rochester, N.Y., November 7, 2019—Cinephiles know a film comes to life only when it is presented on the big screen. With digital theaters becoming the norm, the need for a skilled film projectionist is becoming so rare that the craft itself is in danger. The Art of Film Projection—A Beginner’s Guide is the George Eastman Museum’s venture to capture the essence of film projection from both sides of the machine and to offer a playbook to reproduce the magic of cinema for an audience.
The Gingerbreads are back at the George Eastman Museum
Rochester, N.Y., November 1, 2019—The George Eastman Museum will kick off the holiday season on November 8, when the annual Sweet Creations—the exquisite display of dozens of cleverly designed and deliciously decorated gingerbread houses—opens to the public. The display will be on view through December 15.
George Eastman Museum to honor Robert Forster
Rochester, N.Y., October 23, 2019—The George Eastman Museum announced today that it will honor the late actor Robert Forster on Saturday, November 2 with special screenings of Medium Cool (1969) at 1 p.m. and Jackie Brown (1997) at 4 p.m. in the Dryden Theatre.
A longtime supporter of the George Eastman Museum, Forster was first elected to its board of trustees in 2001 and served as a trustee until 2010, when he was elected as a trustee emeritus.
The George Eastman Museum presents a History of Photography through the immigrant lens
Rochester, N.Y., October 15, 2019—The George Eastman Museum will open a new rotation in its History of Photography Gallery on October 26, which celebrates contributions by a selection of photographers who immigrated or moved to the United States. Many became naturalized citizens as they recorded their perspectives on an unfamiliar country, and most have become key figures in the history of photography.
George Eastman Museum receives $498,815 grant award from National Park Service
Rochester, N.Y., October 1, 2019—The George Eastman Museum has received a Save America’s Treasures grant award of $498,815 from the National Park Service, in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). This grant funding will allow the Eastman Museum to complete the restoration of the Colonnade of George Eastman’s mansion, a National Historic Landmark.
The Dryden Theatre will reopen on October 11
Rochester, N.Y., September 25, 2019—After taking a brief intermission that began in July to accommodate construction at the museum, the Dryden Theatre will raise its curtain again on Friday, October 11 at 7:30 p.m. with a screening of The Killing Floor (Bill Duke, 1985). The theater will resume its daytime screenings on October 15, with a recent work by multimedia artist Lena Herzog, Last Whispers—Oratorio for Vanishing Voices, Collapsing Universes and a Falling Tree.
George Eastman Museum receives $340,615 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities
Rochester, N.Y., September 20, 2019—The George Eastman Museum has received a grant award of $340,615 from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), Division of Preservation and Access, Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections program for its Protecting Nitrate Film Heritage project. Grant funding will support the creation of a reliable, safe, and sustainable environment for the museum’s renowned and extremely fragile collection of 35mm nitrate-based film materials housed at the Louis B. Mayer Conservation Center in Chili, New York.
The George Eastman Museum offers FREE admission on September 21
Rochester, N.Y., September 6, 2019—The George Eastman Museum will be open to the public for FREE on Saturday, September 21, 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 exhibitions The Art of Warner Brothers Cartoons and Tanya Marcuse: Woven, and the History of Photography Gallery, as well as hands-on activities for all ages in the Discovery Room.
The George Eastman Museum’s Wish You Were Here lecture series returns on September 12
Rochester, N.Y., August 28, 2019—The George Eastman Museum has announced the fall lineup for its Wish You Were Here lecture series. For nearly 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 2019 series will kick off on Thursday, September 12 at 6 p.m., with photographer Larry McNeil.
The George Eastman Museum and the Sheldon Art Galleries present the first major retrospective of Bea Nettles
Rochester, N.Y., August 27, 2019—The George Eastman Museum and the Sheldon Art Galleries in St. Louis, will premiere the first large-scale retrospective of artist Bea Nettles’s fifty-year career this fall. The exhibition, Bea Nettles: Harvest of Memory, was co-organized by the two institutions and will open at The Sheldon on October 4, and remain on view through December 28. The George Eastman Museum will present the show in Rochester January 31–June 14, 2020.
The Eastman Museum Council will show Ratatouille (2007) under the stars on September 6
Rochester, N.Y., August 22, 2019—The Eastman Museum Council will present its Movie on the Lawn event featuring Ratatouille (2007) on Friday, September 6 at 7 p.m. on the north lawn of the George Eastman Museum. In case of rain, the event will be moved to Saturday, September 7.
The George Eastman Museum receives $350,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities
Rochester, N.Y., August 15, 2019—The George Eastman Museum has received a grant award of $350,000 from the National Endowment for the Humanities, Division of Preservation and Access, Humanities Collections and Reference Resources Program, to support its project Preserving and Improving Access to the Boyer Collection.
The George Eastman Museum appoints Dr. Peter Bagrov as Curator in Charge of its Moving Image Department
Rochester, N.Y., August 13, 2019—The George Eastman Museum has appointed Peter Bagrov, PhD, as Curator in Charge of its Moving Image Department. He will assume the post on August 16. Bagrov was previously senior curator of Gosfilmofond, the national film archive of Russia, and has nearly twenty years of experience as a film curator and scholar.
Restoration of the George Eastman Museum’s historic Colonnade will begin this week
Rochester, N.Y., August 6, 2019—This week, the George Eastman Museum will begin a major restoration of the Colonnade of George Eastman’s mansion, a National Historic Landmark.
The Colonnade is the passageway—lined with windows onto the Schuyler C. Townson Terrace Garden—between the Palm House and the dining room in George Eastman’s historic mansion. This structure provides the only interior route between the museum’s main entrance and galleries and the historic mansion and Terrace Garden.
The George Eastman Museum presents Wildflowers: A Tribute to Tom Petty for the KeyBank Rochester Fringe Festival
Rochester, N.Y., August 1, 2019—As part of the KeyBank Rochester Fringe Festival, the George Eastman Museum will host a Hidden Garden Concert on Friday, September 13 at 6 p.m., featuring musicians from several Rochester bands, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Tom Petty's album Wildflowers.
The George Eastman Museum completes environment improvement project to preserve its Photography and Technology Collections
Rochester, N.Y., July 30, 2019—The George Eastman Museum has recently completed a major upgrade to the environmental conditions of its collections areas, with grant support of $300,000 from the National Endowment for the Humanities. The more than $800,000 Environmental Improvements Implementation project included the replacement of a 30-year-old system that controlled the temperature and humidity for the photography vault, technology vault, and photography study center.
Set sail with Anderson & Low: Voyages and Discoveries this fall at the George Eastman Museum
Rochester, N.Y., July 23, 2019—The George Eastman Museum will present Anderson & Low: Voyages and Discoveries in its main galleries beginning October 18. The exhibition is the US premiere of UK-based artist duo Anderson & Low’s most recent series, Voyages. For this exhibition, the artists also selected works from the Eastman Museum collection that they perceived to resonate with their work.
The George Eastman Museum celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the Moon Landing on July 20
Rochester, N.Y., July 18, 2019—This Saturday, July 20, marks the fiftieth anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, and the George Eastman Museum will be celebrating “Moon Day” throughout the day with a special boot camp style photo workshop, a Focus 45 talk, gallery tours, and film screenings.
Bugs Bunny and the Looney Tunes crew will spend their summer at the George Eastman Museum
Rochester, N.Y., June 24, 2019—This summer, the George Eastman Museum will offer visitors a look at the complex process of animation with The Art of Warner Bros. Cartoons. The exhibition will be open to the public on June 28 and remain on view through October 6. An exhibition preview will begin at 6 p.m. on Thursday, June 27, followed by a screening of Warner Bros. animated shorts at 8 p.m. in the Dryden Theatre.
ESL Acquires Naming Rights to Pavilion in New Visitor Center at George Eastman Museum
Rochester, N.Y., June 12, 2019— ESL Federal Credit Union has acquired the naming rights to the new main entrance building—the ESL Federal Credit Union Pavilion—at the George Eastman Museum’s new visitor center. The new entrance will be more convenient, visible, welcoming, and accessible for guests. The visitor center will also include a new café and museum shop. Construction is expected to begin in January 2020 and be completed in July 2020.
Tanya Marcuse: Woven now on view at the George Eastman Museum
Rochester, N.Y., June 7, 2019—The George Eastman Museum announces Tanya Marcuse: Woven is now on view through January 5, 2020. The artist, Tanya Marcuse, will be in Rochester tonight for a conversation with Lisa Hostetler, Curator in Charge of the Department of Photography, at 6 p.m. in the Dryden Theatre. Following the conversation, the exhibition gallery will be open to view, and Marcuse will be signing copies of her book, Fruitless / Fallen / Woven (Radius, 2019).
The George Eastman Museum to host a Community Forum on Monday, June 10 at 6 p.m.
Rochester, N.Y., June 4, 2019—The George Eastman Museum is hosting a community forum on Monday, June 10, at 6 p.m., to share information about its historic mansion and garden restoration program. The museum invites the public to attend and learn more about the status of the project and its next phase as well as ask questions and provide input for the projects moving forward.
George Eastman Museum honors Julia Roberts with the George Eastman Award before SOLD-OUT crowd tonight
Rochester, N.Y., May 2, 2019—The George Eastman Museum honored Julia Roberts with the George Eastman Award earlier this evening in front of a sold-out crowd. The Eastman Award is the museum’s highest honor in motion pictures and recognizes Robert’s distinguished contribution to the art of film. The award ceremony was held in the Dryden Theatre, where 500 people were in attendance to view a video compilation of her work, followed by her gracious acceptance speech and an on-stage conversation with Roberts and the museum’s Curator of Film Programming, Jared Case.
“Eastman Entertains: At The Movies” Tabletop Displays return to the George Eastman Museum May 7–26
Rochester, N.Y., April 15, 2019—The George Eastman Museum has announced that its popular Eastman Entertains: At the Movies, will be on view from Tuesday, May 7, through Sunday, May 26. For three weeks only, a spectacular array of creatively styled table settings and floral arrangements inspired by popular motion pictures—including Clue, Hocus Pocus, Mamma Mia, and The Sting—will be displayed throughout the mansion of entrepreneur and philanthropist George Eastman.
The George Eastman Museum presents its Garden Vibes Concert Series in June
Rochester, N.Y., May 16, 2019—The Garden Vibes summer concert series will return to the George Eastman Museum this summer with a condensed schedule in June. A major construction project will begin on the museum’s historic Colonnade in July, limiting access to the Terrace Garden and East Vista. The museum will host the outdoor concerts on June 12 and June 19, prior to commencement of construction.
George Eastman Museum reveals film titles screening this weekend at the 5th Nitrate Picture Show
Rochester, N.Y., May 3, 2019—The George Eastman Museum has released the official program for this weekend’s 5th 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 5th Nitrate Picture Show will begin its official film program at 4:30 p.m.
The Dryden Theatre will present Salam, a free film series, in partnership with the Islamic Center of Rochester
Rochester, N.Y., April 9, 2019—In commemoration of the lives of the victims of the atrocities at the Al Noor Mosque and the Linwood Islamic Centre in New Zealand, and in solidarity with Muslim people, the Dryden Theatre at the George Eastman Museum will present three films by renowned filmmakers Youssef Chahine (Egypt), Jafar Panahi (Iran), and Nuri Bilge Ceylan (Turkey). The film series, Salam (“peace” in Arabic) was organized by the Eastman Museum in partnership with the Islamic Center of Rochester, and is sponsored by the William & Sheila Konar Foundation.
The George Eastman Museum to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing this summer
Rochester, N.Y., March 28, 2019—This year makes the fiftieth anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing on July 20, 1969. The George Eastman Museum will open a new rotation in its History of Photography Gallery on May 3, which will celebrate the anniversary as well as examine the intersecting histories of photography and space exploration.
Julia Roberts to introduce film at the Dryden Theatre the evening before she accepts the George Eastman Award
Rochester, N.Y., March 12, 2019—The George Eastman Museum has announced that Academy Award winner Julia Roberts will introduce a special screening of Full Frontal (Steven Soderbergh, 2002) at the Dryden Theatre on Wednesday, May 1, at 7:30 p.m. Roberts will be in Rochester to accept the George Eastman Award on Thursday, May 2 in front of a sold-out crowd at the Dryden Theatre, and has agreed to introduce the film on May 1.
Julia Roberts to receive George Eastman Award
Rochester, N.Y., February 12, 2019—The George Eastman Museum will honor Julia Roberts with the George Eastman Award on Thursday, May 2. The award recognizes her distinguished contribution to the art of cinema. Tickets will go on sale to the public on March 18 and will be available at eastman.org/eastmanaward2019.
The George Eastman Museum offering FREE admission to federal employees and their families
Rochester, N.Y., January 16, 2019—The George Eastman Museum is offering free general admission beginning today and until the end of the government shutdown to all federal employees impacted by the shutdown and their families, including tickets to evening film screenings at the Dryden Theatre.
George Eastman Museum
Tuesday-Saturday: 10 a.m to 5 p.m.
Sunday: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
(Closed Monday)
Dryden Theatre
Tuesday- Saturday: Films begin at 7:30 p.m. (unless otherwise noted); Doors open at 6:45 p.m.
National Endowment for the Arts Awards $20,000 to the George Eastman Museum
Rochester, N.Y., December 8, 2015—The George Eastman Museum has received a grant award of $20,000 from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) for the museum’s preservation of Highlights and Shadows (US 1937), a film by James Sibley Watson Jr. Today, the NEA announced awards totaling more than $27.6 million in its first funding round of fiscal year 2016, including this Art Works award to the Eastman Museum.
The Nitrate Picture Show returns to the George Eastman Museum in 2016
Rochester, N.Y., November 23, 2015—The George Eastman Museum officially announced today that it will be presenting the 2nd Nitrate Picture Show this coming spring. The festival will be held April 29–May 1, 2016 at the Dryden Theatre, the George Eastman Museum’s historic venue for film exhibition in Rochester, NY. The Dryden Theatre—one of only a few archival venues in the world that can project nitrate film—is home to the museum’s ongoing program of past and present cinematic works from all countries.
George Eastman Museum acquires world’s largest collection of contemporary Indian cinema
Rochester, N.Y., November 3, 2015—The George Eastman Museum has recently acquired the world’s largest collection of contemporary Indian cinema held by a museum or film archive. The collection consists of 775 prints representing 597 film titles, all in 35mm format, made between 1999 and 2013. In addition, about 6,000 film posters were acquired as part of the collection. This exceptional donation represents not only films from the Hindi-language film industry commonly known as “Bollywood,” but also Malayalam, Punjabi, Tamil, and Telugu productions. The languages represented in these films include Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu. Many titles are from acclaimed masters of Indian cinema, such as Mani Ratnam, Ashutosh Gowariker, Anurag Kashyap, Nagesh Kukunoor, and Sanjay Leela Bhansali.
Press Contact
Eliza Kozlowski
Senior Director of Marketing and Engagement
George Eastman Museum
(585) 327-4860
[email protected]