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 restoration project Murder in Harlem (1935) selected for screening at 2021 Cannes Film Festival
Rochester, N.Y., July 2, 2021—The George Eastman Museum announced that its recent restoration of Murder in Harlem (1935), a rare film directed by Oscar Micheaux (1884–1951), has been selected to be screened in the Cannes Classic series at the 74th Annual Cannes Film Festival (Festival de Cannes) in France. The festival will be held from Tuesday, July 6, through Saturday, July 17, 2021. The Eastman Museum collaborated with the Cineteca di Bologna, in Italy, to preserve the film.
George Eastman Museum to present two Free Film Series in Solidarity with Black Americans and Asian/Pacific Islander Americans
Rochester, N.Y., June 18, 2021—This summer, the George Eastman Museum will present two free film series in solidarity with Black Americans and Asian/Pacific Islander Americans: Spotlighting Black Film Artists and Celebrating Asian/Pacific American Directors. All are invited to attend the screenings at the Dryden Theatre.
Joshua Rashaad McFadden photography exhibition to open in Fall 2021 at the George Eastman Museum
Rochester, N.Y., May 12, 2021—The George Eastman Museum will open the major new exhibition Joshua Rashaad McFadden: I Believe I’ll Run On in its main galleries on Friday, November 5, 2021. The exhibition is an early-career survey of the Rochester-based artist’s work, in which McFadden critically examines the racism and anti-Black violence that Black Americans have experienced from slavery to the present.
India Heritage Museum in collaboration with the George Eastman Museum presents "Indian Cinema: A Rochester Connection"
Rochester, N.Y., April 29, 2021—India Heritage Museum will present a new visual arts exhibition, Indian Cinema: A Rochester Connection, beginning Saturday, May 8, and running through Sunday, June 13. This free exhibition includes contemporary Indian film posters provided by the George Eastman Museum and can be viewed at the Vinod and Vinay Luthra India Heritage Center at 2171 Monroe Wayne County Line Road, Macedon, 14502. The exhibit can be visited on Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m.
George Eastman Museum will exhibit Jess T. Dugan and Vanessa Fabbre’s work focusing on Transgender Older Adults
Rochester, N.Y., April 23, 2021—The George Eastman Museum will present To Survive on This Shore: Photographs and Interviews with Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Older Adults, a photographic exhibition on view from June 19, 2021 through January 2, 2022. This interdisciplinary project is a collaboration between photographer Jess T. Dugan and social worker Vanessa Fabbre, an associate professor at Washington University in St. Louis whose research focuses on the intersection of LGBTQ issues and aging.
The Dryden Theatre will reopen on April 2
Rochester, N.Y., March 18, 2021—The Dryden Theatre will reopen to the public with a screening of Citizen Kane (Orson Welles, US 1941) on Friday, April 2, followed by Rear Window (Alfred Hitchcock, US 1954) on Saturday, April 3. All films will begin at 7:30 p.m. (doors open at 6:45 p.m.).
Orson Welles’s Too Much Johnson now available online with voice-over commentary and musical accompaniment
Rochester, N.Y., March 11, 2021—One of the landmark projects of the George Eastman Museum’s Moving Image Department was the preservation of Orson Welles’s 1938 comedy, Too Much Johnson. The film, once thought lost, can be viewed at eastman.org/TooMuchJohnson. The digitized version of the film includes new recorded voice-over commentary by Anthony L’Abbate, preservation manager, and Caroline Yeager, associate curator, of the George Eastman Museum.
The George Eastman Museum launches new virtual artist’s talk series
Rochester, N.Y., March 8, 2021—The George Eastman Museum is launching a new series of virtual talks, Future/Present, featuring early- to mid-career photographers and artists who are exploring some of the most pressing issues of our time and pushing the boundaries of image-making and visual culture today. The series will kick off online with visual artist and storyteller Citali Fabián on March 18 at 6 p.m. The event is free for museum members and $10 suggested ticket for non-museum members.
The George Eastman Museum now offering virtual Photographic and Moving Image Process Workshops
Rochester, N.Y., March 1, 2021—The George Eastman Museum has been providing artists, educators, and enthusiasts ways to explore photographic and moving image processes for decades through its on-site Process Workshops. From how to make a tintype to turning digital negatives into prints, these in-person workshops drew people from around the world to learn from the museum’s experts. This year, the Eastman Museum is offering new ways to experience its workshops from wherever you are located.
George Eastman Museum receives 20 reels of rare 35mm nitrate films
Rochester, N.Y., February 24, 2021—The George Eastman Museum has recently received a donation of 20 reels, from 12 identified titles, of rare 35mm nitrate and diacetate film prints from historian John Goodman of Scottsbluff, Nebraska.
This Week: George Eastman Museum opens two exhibitions and kicks off film series as part of Stories of Indian Cinema
Rochester, N.Y., November 8, 2017—Stories of Indian Cinema, which comprises two exhibitions—Abandoned and Rescued and Nandita Raman: Cinema Play House—will open at the George Eastman Museum on Saturday, November 11, with a preview on the evening of Thursday, November 9. Abandoned and Rescued tells the intriguing story behind the Eastman Museum’s recent acquisition of a collection of contemporary Indian films and posters. Raman’s Cinema Play House series features photographs the artist made in various single-screen cinemas in India, many of which are threatened by the emergence of multiplexes. Both exhibitions will be on view in the museum’s main galleries through May 13, 2018.
George Eastman Museum announces 2018 photography and film workshop schedule
Rochester, N.Y., November 13, 2017—The George Eastman Museum has announced its 2018 schedule of photography workshops, including several new programs, including a one-day tintype boot camp; hand-coloring film; creating Niepceotype, hyalotype, and albumen on glass plates; and an introduction to analog photography. In addition to workshops being held at the museum, excursion workshops are being offered on the Erie Canal and at Letchworth State Park.
George Eastman Museum acquires rare collection of Lumière films
Rochester, N.Y., October 2, 2017—The George Eastman Museum has recently acquired and restored a rare collection of eighteen Lumière films. The nitrate reels, all in nearly pristine condition, consist of seven 35mm negatives and eleven 35mm positive prints, dating approximately between 1896 and 1903. The restored films will make their debut at the Pordenone Silent Film Festival in Italy on Wednesday, October 4, at 8:30 p.m.
The George Eastman Museum’s Wish You Were Here lecture series returns on September 28
Rochester, N.Y., September 21, 2017—The George Eastman Museum has announced the fall lineup for its Wish You Were Here lecture series. For more than 16 years, this popular photography lecture series has brought artists and photojournalists to the Rochester to share their stories and photographs. The series will begin on Thursday, September 28 at 6 p.m., with photographers Ahndraya Parlato and Gregory Halpern.
George Eastman Museum to offer FREE DAY on September 23
Rochester, N.Y., September 5, 2017—The George Eastman Museum will be open to the public for FREE on Saturday, September 23, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. In the spirit of Smithsonian Magazine’s Museum Day Live!, the Eastman Museum is opening its doors to all visitors for the day to encourage the Rochester community to experience the photography exhibition Eugene Richards: The Run-On of Time before it closes on October 22.
George Eastman Museum launches Technicolor Online Research Archive
Rochester, N.Y., August 9, 2017—The George Eastman Museum has officially launched the Technicolor Online Research Archive available at technicolor.eastman.org. The online archive contains more than 40,000 documents from the Technicolor Motion Picture Corporation, ranging in date from 1914 to 1955. Notes, journals, correspondence, film tests, technical drawings, and other documents are now available for the public to search and browse.
The George Eastman Museum and Table Top Opera present Within the Quota as part of KeyBank Rochester Fringe Festival
Rochester, N.Y., July 11, 2017—As part of the KeyBank Rochester Fringe Festival, the George Eastman Museum and TableTopOpera will present a multi-media presentation titled Within the Quota on Tuesday, September 19 at 7:30 p.m. in the museum’s Dryden Theatre.
George Eastman Museum appoints Kevin Gavagan as Chair of its Board of Trustees
Rochester, N.Y., July 20, 2017—The Board of Trustees of the George Eastman Museum has appointed Kevin Gavagan as its new Chair.
Ben Morey and The Eyes to perform at the George Eastman Museum on Saturday, August 19
Rochester, N.Y., July 19, 2017—Due to a major restoration project that has temporarily closed the East Porch and East Vista of George Eastman’s historic mansion, this is the first summer in 22 years that the George Eastman Museum is not hosting its annual Garden Vibes concert series. The museum plans to keep the music alive, however, with a special Hidden Garden Concert on Saturday, August 19, at 6 p.m.
The George Eastman Museum seeks funding for major restoration and redesign projects
Rochester, N.Y., July 13, 2017—The George Eastman Museum is hosting a community forum on Monday, July 17, at 6 p.m. to share information about its historic mansion restoration program and update community members about the next phase. In addition, the museum will share information about its plan to relocate and redesign the museum’s main public entrance to enhance accessibility for all visitors.
Happy Birthday, George Eastman!
Rochester, N.Y., July 12, 2017—In honor of George Eastman’s birthday, today the George Eastman Museum will unveil a new interactive offering in Eastman’s historic mansion. In the screening room on the second floor of the museum, visitors can now watch historic footage and recent documentaries related to George Eastman—many of which are only available on-site at the museum.
Celebrate America’s Favorite Pastime this summer at the George Eastman Museum
Rochester, N.Y., June 30, 2017—The George Eastman Museum will be celebrating baseball this summer with America’s Favorite Pastime, a film series of twelve features spanning nearly ninety years of cinema history. As part of the series, which is presented in collaboration with the Rochester Red Wings, the Eastman Museum will host two special events: a screening of Bull Durham (1988) with writer/director and former Rochester Red Wing Ron Shelton in person on July 6, and a screening of Field of Dreams (1989) with writer/director Phil Alden Robinson in person on August 4.
Lucinda Devlin: Sightlines now on view at the George Eastman Museum
Rochester, N.Y., June 28, 2017—Lucinda Devlin: Sightlines is now on view at the George Eastman Museum through December 31, 2017. Photographer Lucinda Devlin has devoted her forty-year career to exploring the relationship between our bodies and the spaces they inhabit. Her work, made with a 2¼-inch camera and wide-angle lens, consists in large part of photographs of interiors associated with pleasure or pain.
George Eastman Museum to present David Levinthal: War, Myth, Desire in 2018
Rochester, N.Y., June 26, 2017—The George Eastman Museum has announced it will premiere a retrospective of artist David Levinthal’s work next summer. The exhibition, David Levinthal: War, Myth, Desire, is set to open on June 2, 2018, and will run through December 30, 2018.
Registration Now Open for 7th Annual George Eastman Museum PhotoFinish 5K
Rochester, N.Y., June 8, 2017—The seventh annual George Eastman Museum PhotoFinish 5K will take place on Saturday, October 14, at 8 a.m. With a scenic course through Rochester’s Neighborhood of the Arts, the run/walk is open to everyone, including wheelchair users, and raises funds for local nonprofit organizations that make Rochester a great place to live and work. Individuals and teams can register now at eastman.org/5k.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Awards $5,000 Grant to Support Dryden Theatre’s Silent Tuesdays
Rochester, N.Y., May 10, 2017—The George Eastman Museum announced that it has been awarded a grant of $5,000 from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences through its FilmWatch program. Grant funds will support live musical accompaniment for more than 15 silent films to be screened in the museum’s Dryden Theatre as part of the 2017–18 Silent Tuesdays program.
George Eastman Museum reveals Film Titles for the 3rd Nitrate Picture Show
Rochester, N.Y., May 5, 2017—The George Eastman Museum has released the official program for this weekend’s 3rd 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 3rd Nitrate Picture Show will begin its official program at 4:30 p.m. today with a series of seven short nitrate films, and conclude the day with The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (Irvin Reis, US 1947), starring Cary Grant, Myrna Loy, and Shirley Temple, at 10 p.m.
The Nitrate Picture Show Kicks Off on May 5 at the George Eastman Museum
Rochester, N.Y., April 28, 2017—The George Eastman Museum will present the 3rd Nitrate Picture Show on May 5–7, 2017, at the Dryden Theatre in Rochester, NY. The schedule for this year’s festival includes ten programs of feature-length and short films from twelve international archives and collections. The titles in this year’s lineup—which have collectively won five Academy Awards—will be revealed at 9 a.m. on Friday, May 5.
Eugene Richards: The Run-On of Time will open at the George Eastman Museum on June 10
Rochester, N.Y., April 20, 2017—Eugene Richards: The Run-On of Time, an exhibition co-organized by the George Eastman Museum and The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, explores Eugene Richards’s career as a photojournalist and documentary photographer from 1968 to the present. The Run-On of Time is the first museum retrospective devoted to Richards’s work and will open at the George Eastman Museum on June 10. The exhibition will remain on view through October 22.
George Eastman Museum to begin restoration of historic mansion’s East Porch in June
Rochester, N.Y., April 11, 2017—At George Eastman’s historic mansion, the restoration of the East Porch—the second stage in a series of critical preservation projects taking place over several years—will begin in June. These projects are addressing historic structures and architectural elements that were not included in the major restoration of the mansion in 1990.
“Eastman Entertains” returns to the George Eastman Museum May 9–21
Rochester, N.Y., April 6, 2017—In the early 20th century, George Eastman frequently entertained friends, family, and business colleagues at his grand East Avenue residence. As Rochester’s leading citizen, Eastman was accustomed to entertaining, and he ensured that each luncheon, dinner party, and event was a memorable experience for his guests. In honor of this history, the George Eastman Museum presents Eastman Entertains: At the Movies for two weeks only, Tuesday, May 9, through Sunday, May 21.
George Eastman Museum to host free screening of Muhammad: The Messenger of God on Sunday, March 26
Rochester, N.Y., March 7, 2017—As part of its celebration of the work of cinematographer Vittorio Storaro, the George Eastman Museum will present the East Coast premiere of Muhammad: The Messenger of God (Majid Majidi, Iran 2015) on Sunday, March 26 at 2 p.m. The film will be introduced by Vittorio Storaro, who will receive the George Eastman Award in recognition of his contribution to the art of film on the evening of Saturday, March 25. At the end of the screening, Dr. Muhammad Shafiq, executive director of the Brian and Jean Hickey Center for Interfaith Studies and Dialogue and professor of religious studies at Nazareth College, will provide context and commentary on the film, which has been the source of international controversy.
Robert Cumming: The Secret Life of Objects to premiere at the George Eastman Museum on February 18
Rochester, N.Y., February 10, 2017—The George Eastman Museum will present Robert Cumming: The Secret Life of Objects, the first major US exhibition in nearly twenty years dedicated to the evolution of artist Robert Cumming’s practice. The exhibition will be on view February 18 through May 28, 2017.
Cinematographer Vittorio Storaro to receive George Eastman Award
Rochester, N.Y., February 6, 2017—The George Eastman Museum will honor Academy Award–winning cinematographer Vittorio Storaro with the George Eastman Award on Saturday, March 25. The award recognizes Storaro’s distinguished contribution to the art of film. In accepting the honor, he joins the company of film legends such as Charles Chaplin, Joan Crawford, Cecil B. DeMille, Michael Douglas, Greta Garbo, Lillian Gish, Audrey Hepburn, Gregory Peck, Martin Scorsese, James Stewart, Meryl Streep, and most recently, Michael Keaton. The George Eastman Award was established in 1955 as the first retrospective film award to honor artistic work of enduring value.
After 40 years, two collections of George Eastman’s papers reunite at the George Eastman Museum
Rochester, N.Y., January 31, 2017—The George Eastman Museum and the University of Rochester have announced that two collections of George Eastman’s papers have been reunited at the Eastman Museum. The university’s Department of Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation (RBSCP) has recently transferred a group of letters and photographs that it has housed since 1976 to the museum’s George Eastman Legacy Collection, established in 1989.
Jack Garner shares his 2017 Academy Awards predictions at the George Eastman Museum on Monday, February 13
Rochester, N.Y., January 23, 2017—Democrat and Chronicle entertainment columnist Jack Garner will offer his take on the 2017 Academy Award nominations and predict the winners in the major categories on Monday, February 13 at 6 p.m. in the Dryden Theatre at the George Eastman Museum.
Dutch Connection will be on display at the George Eastman Museum beginning February 10
Rochester, N.Y., January 18, 2017—The George Eastman Museum presents virtual springtime, with the annual Dutch Connection floral display, on view Friday, February 10, through Sunday, February 26. This colorful two-week display will feature thousands of flowering bulbs, displayed throughout the historic mansion.
The George Eastman Museum receives $468,881 grant award to continue restoration of George Eastman’s historic mansion
Rochester, N.Y., January 4, 2017—The George Eastman Museum has received a grant of $468,881 from the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation, via the Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council, to continue its ongoing restoration of George Eastman’s mansion, a National Historic Landmark.
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.