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, 31,000 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 its L. Jeffrey Selznick School of Film Preservation’s graduate program (a collaboration with the University of Rochester) makes critical contributions to film preservation. The George Eastman Museum is supported with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
Current Press Releases
George Eastman Museum Receives Agha Jani Kashmiri Archive
George Eastman Museum Presents Photo Art Therapy: A Convergence of Creativity and the Healing Process
Celebrate the 30th Anniversary of Sweet Creations at the George Eastman Museum
George Eastman Museum to host West Side Story screening and conversation with Rita Moreno
Ghosts, Vampires, and Cult Classics Haunt at the Dryden Theatre this October
New exhibition by artist Erica Baum presents poetry of word and image at the George Eastman Museum
George Eastman Museum Showcases Major Photography and Moving Image Exhibitions Throughout 2025 and 2026
Tickets On Sale Now for George Eastman Award Ceremony and Gala Honoring Rita Moreno
Dryden Theatre Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month with Latin Film Screenings and Discussions
Rita Moreno to receive George Eastman Award for Contributions to the Art of Cinema
New exhibition explores climate-aware and environmentally sustainable solutions at the George Eastman Museum
George Eastman Museum to present American, born Hungary: Kertész, Capa, and the Hungarian American Photographic Legacy
George Eastman Museum to present The World is Waiting for the Sunrise: A Sing-along with Maggie Paxson
Explore 130 Years of Film History with the Launch of Film Atlas, a New Interactive Online Resource
George Eastman Museum to Host Free Admission Day in Celebration of 75th Anniversary
Tunes in blooms: George Eastman Museum’s Garden Vibes outdoor Concert Series summer lineup set
Seeing & Being Seen: LGBTQ+ Visions of Rochester to honor strength and resiliency of LGBTQ+ people in Rochester, NY
George Eastman Museum to acquire and preserve the complete master recordings for the moving image works of Bill Viola
Zig Jackson: The Journey of Rising Buffalo Reveals a Living, Breathing Representation of Indigenous Cultures
Original Technicolor Nitrate Print of Becky Sharp (1935) to Open Ninth Nitrate Picture Show at George Eastman Museum
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)
Bronze sculpture honoring Philip Seymour Hoffman to be unveiled May 28 at George Eastman Museum
The legacy of actor/director/producer Philip Seymour Hoffman is a point of pride for those in his hometown, who will soon be able to enjoy a memorial erected in his honor at George Eastman Museum, outdoors near the Dryden Theatre. On Saturday, May 28, a bronze life-size sculpture will be unveiled that depicts Hoffman appearing to be walking toward the movie theater.
The Nitrate Picture Show returns June 2–5, 2022
The George Eastman Museum will present the 6th Nitrate Picture Show from June 2 to 5, 2022, at the Dryden Theatre in Rochester, NY. The Nitrate Picture Show, the world’s only festival of film conservation, returns after a two-year hiatus for the sixth edition with a new lineup of nitrate prints on screen, the Nitrate Touch workshop, and two concerts on Thursday, June 2: the first on the George Eastman’s grand piano and the second on the Eastman’s Aeolian pipe organ.
George Eastman Museum to present benefit film screening in solidarity with the people of Ukraine on April 3
The George Eastman Museum will present a benefit film screening on Sunday, April 3 at 7:30 p.m. in solidarity with the people of Ukraine. In Spring (Navesni; Vesnoi, Mikhail Kaufman, USSR [Ukraine] 1929, 65 min., 35mm) is a seminal work of Ukrainian cinema as well as a hymn to the miracle of life. The fact that it was filmed in and around Kyiv makes it particularly poignant today. The silent film was directed by filmmaker Mikhail Kaufman and will be accompanied by Dr. Philip C. Carli on piano.
George Eastman Museum appoints Phil Taylor as curator in its Department of Photography
The George Eastman Museum has appointed Phil Taylor as an assistant curator in its Department of Photography. He will be based primarily in New York City. His role will include participating in collection development, curating exhibitions at the Eastman Museum in Rochester, and authoring or contributing to accompanying publications and other scholarly books.
This Week: George Eastman Museum opens two exhibitions and kicks off film series as part of Stories of Indian Cinema
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
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.