Research Appointment & Study Center FAQ
Who can make research appointments?
Research appointments can be made by anyone, whether you’re conducting scholarly research or simply interested in an object or publication. You do not need to provide credentials to make an appointment.
How do I schedule an appointment?
Contact the appropriate study center, collection, or library below.
Gannett Foundation Photographic Study Center
Open for individual researchers by appointment only.
To plan a future visit, contact [email protected] or (585) 327-4870.
Moving Image Study Center
[email protected]
Moving Image Stills, Posters, and Paper Collection
[email protected]
Technology Collection
[email protected] or fill out a research request form
(585) 327-4968
George Eastman Legacy Archive and Study Center
[email protected] or fill out a research request form
(585) 327-4854
Richard and Ronay Menschel Library
[email protected]
(585) 327-4881
What if I don’t know which collection to do research in or my research topic spans multiple collections?
You can begin your research by accessing our Collections Online, checking our Finding Aids, or, if you’re interested in Technicolor, visit the Technicolor Online Research Archive.
Are there any fees associated with doing research on the collection?
Photography, Technology, and the George Eastman Legacy collections are freely available for research or viewing.
For Moving Image, there is a fee of $25 per hour for viewing appointments, paid at the end of the research visit.
Can I view any object in your collection?
Not all objects are available to view. This can be for any number of reasons, such as copyright, physical condition, or availability due to loans, conservation, or exhibition.
Is there a way to search the collections?
- The library holdings are searchable through the University of Rochester's catalog.
- The museum offers online access to finding aids for primary resources housed in its collections. Finding aids are added to the website on an ongoing basis.
- Explore our collections online, with searchable information on more than 250,000 objects in our photography, technology, and George Eastman Legacy collections. We are currently in the process of making our cinema collection accessible online. New objects are added on an ongoing basis.
- The Technicolor Online Research Archive includes more than 40,000 documents ranging in date from 1914 to 1955—notes, journals, correspondence, film tests, technical drawings, and more—from the museum’s Technicolor collection.
- If you have questions regarding what you’ve found online, you can contact the specific department.
- Photography: [email protected]
- Moving Image: [email protected]
- Posters, Papers, and Stills: [email protected]
- George Eastman Legacy: [email protected]
- Technology: [email protected]
Can I take photographs or make copies of the materials?
It depends on the object, copyright status, nature of the use, preservation, and other factors. Please inquire with the specific department of interest. Fees may apply.
Open for individual researchers by appointment only.
To plan a future visit, contact [email protected] or (585) 327-4870.
Contact [email protected] with further questions or to plan a visit.
Can I request or purchase a copy of a film?
- Due to copyright laws and donor agreements, we do not make copies of films in the museum collection for sale, rental, or personal use. The films are accessible through on-site appointments only.
- The museum does loan prints of preserved films to qualified nonprofit organizations that are able to comply with museum standards in film handling, shipping, and the use of change-over projectors. See below for more information.
I am conducting research on a particular topic. Can you tell me what films you have that fit my topic?
Our catalog is not designed to search by genres, subject matter, or keywords and due to limited staff and resources, we are unable to conduct this research for you. If you are researching a specific subject or genre, we highly recommend doing research first to identify specific titles or persons of interest before searching the online catalog.
Are there any fees for research appointments?
There is a fee of $25 per hour for viewing appointments, paid at the end of the research visit.
How many films can I request for an appointment?
While we do not have a set limit to the number of films one can request, it depends on the items requested, the length of the visit and how much advance notice staff has been given. The research facilitator will help you determine what is feasible for the length of your appointment but may need to ask you to prioritize or limit your selection.
May I take photos or recordings during my research visit?
Cameras or any sort of recording equipment is not permitted. If you need images for research or illustrative purposes, frame scans may be ordered by request. Please see the Stills, Posters, and Paper Collection FAQ for more information on frame scans.
I am working on a project and would like to license footage from your collection. Do you accept these requests?
While we are not a stock footage company, we may be able to assist with footage requests on a case-by-case basis. For more information, please submit a media release request form.
Can I borrow a print from your collection for a screening/event?
The museum loans prints of preserved films to qualified nonprofit organizations that are able to comply with museum standards in film handling, shipping, and the use of change-over projectors. Individuals, commercial entities, and touring exhibitions are not eligible for loans. Unpreserved films and prints subject to copyright or donor restrictions are not available for loan. For more information or to submit a loan request, please contact [email protected].
Do you have other materials related to films?
Yes we do! If you would like to learn more, please contact the Stills, Posters, and Paper Collection at [email protected].
What kinds of things can I find in the Stills, Posters, and Paper Collection?
The Moving Image Department has a collection of materials related to the history of film that includes film stills and other photographs, lobby cards, music cue sheets, scripts, posters, pre-cinema artifacts, and much more.
How do I search your collection?
Information about the Stills, Posters, and Paper Collection is not yet available in the museum’s online catalog.
For information about objects in the collection, please submit your inquiry to [email protected] including your name, affiliation (if any), a list of titles or person(s) of interest, and types of materials you are interested in.
Do I have to visit the archive to access materials?
Not necessarily. Many requests can be handled remotely. However, research that involves in-depth review of voluminous materials would necessitate a visit in person. We will do our best to look at the materials of interest to give you an idea of what we have that may be relevant to your research, but we cannot conduct the research for you.
What does it cost to make a copy or reproduce materials from the Stills, Posters, and Paper Collection collection?
Pricing varies depending on use.
The Eastman Museum does not grant or imply copyright clearance for any of the images in the Moving Image Stills, Posters, and Paper Collection. The individual or institution requesting images must clear copyright for any publication of potentially copyright protected material. The museum recognizes fair use of previously published material and is not liable for any infringement of copyright by those requesting images from the collection.
Reproductions of Photographs
- Scanning and access fee (high resolution): $50 each
- Standard resolution of 4000 ppi along the long edge of the photo, rounding up to the nearest 100 (example: 8” x 10” photo will be scanned at 400 ppi; 4” x 6” photo at 700 ppi)
- Includes basic color/contrast correction for black and white photos
- For higher than the standard resolution: add $25
- Basic digital restoration per photo: add $25
- Reference scans: $5 each
- Low resolution, with watermark
- No color/contrast correction or digital restoration
- The $5 may be applied toward the order of a high resolution file of the same image
Allow 3-4 weeks for image delivery. Large orders may require additional time to fulfill. Rush orders may be accommodated at staff’s discretion and are subject to double the charge if needed within two weeks of the order date.
We do not provide paper photocopies or reproduction prints of photographs.
Reproductions of Paper Materials
Scanning and/or photocopying of paper materials is dependent on the condition of the materials. Every effort will be made to accommodate requests for reproductions; however, exceptionally fragile items that may be damaged during scanning or photocopying will be excluded from orders.
A maximum of 200 scans and/or photocopies per person may be requested within a 6-month period, due to staff availability. A shipping charge will be added to orders for paper photocopies.
The following prices are for reproductions intended for research and reference use. If images of paper materials are needed for publication (without a watermark), please contact [email protected] for prices.
- Digital scans (with watermark):
- Standard sizes (letter or legal): $2 per page
- Oversize (larger than legal)*: $3 per page
- Music cue sheets (pdf): $15 per file
- Paper photocopies:
- Standard sizes (letter or legal): $0.50 per page
- Oversize (larger than legal)*: $1 per page
* Reproductions of posters and other non-standard size objects are made and priced on a special order, case-by-case basis. Please direct inquiries and questions to [email protected].
Digital Reproductions of Film Frames – Special Order
Frame scans from film prints in the museum’s collection may be requested by special order. There are two options available:
- Remote orders: Staff will locate and scan the specific image(s) requested, with guidance provided by the researcher as to where the images are expected to be found within the film print. DVD frame captures and time codes, if available, are helpful to staff in locating the requested images. The scanning fee is:
- $150 for the first image from a film print
- $75 for each subsequent image from the same film print
Allow 4–6 weeks for image delivery.
- In-person viewing: Researchers visiting the museum to view film prints in the Film Study Center may select frames for reproduction at the time of viewing. Staff overseeing the appointment will assist the researcher in how to select frames during the visit. In addition to the fees for viewing film prints (email [email protected]), the scanning fee is:
- $75 for the first image from a film print
- $50 for each subsequent image from the same film print
Allow 3-4 weeks for image delivery.
Film frames from 35mm prints are scanned at 3200 ppi and 16mm prints at 6400 ppi.
Note: Frame scans are available only for films in the museum’s collection. We are unable to provide frame scans from films on deposit (owned by others).
File Delivery
Digital files will be delivered via e-mail as high resolution jpegs, unless otherwise requested. Larger or more voluminous orders can be delivered via a file sharing site: Google Drive, Dropbox, WeTransfer, etc.
Please refer to our Policies and Procedures Guidelines; this should answer the majority of questions regarding your visit.
Contact [email protected] with further questions. To schedule an appointment, fill out a research request form.
What is included in this collection?
We have a wealth of information on George Eastman, Eastman Kodak Company during Eastman’s lifetime, the mansion and gardens, and the care and maintenance of historic homes.
Do you have materials on the complete history of Kodak?
Though there are some exceptions (most notably the Kodak Advertising Collection), our archive tends to focus on early Kodak history, during George Eastman’s lifetime. If researchers are looking into more recent Kodak history, the University of Rochester's Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation (RBSCP) department may be able to help: https://www.library.rochester.edu/spaces/rbscp
Can I take photographs of the materials or make scans?
Researchers are free to take photos of materials for research purposes only, and must follow these guidelines:
- Permission to photograph objects from the collection is at the discretion of the Collection Manager or Study Room attendant.
- All object handling guidelines must be followed while photographing collection objects.
- The use of external light fixtures are not allowed.
- Photographs taken in the George Eastman Legacy Collection Study Center are intended for personal research purposes only and shall not be posted to social media sites without prior consent from the museum. This includes but is not limited to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, Flickr, Google+, Pinterest, Reddit, or YouTube.
- Photographs taken by researchers may not be reproduced, published or distributed in any way without permission from George Eastman Museum, including but not limited to publications, presentations, theses, or dissertations, either online or in print.
- The researcher acknowledges that collection objects may be subject to copyright and that it is the responsibility of the researcher to comply with all applicable copyright laws.
- Cameras or cell phones may not be held directly over an object. The Collection Manager or Study Room attendant may assist you.
- Flash photography is not permitted.
If images are needed for a blog, presentation, article, thesis, etc., you may request a higher resolution scan from our Rights & Reproductions department at [email protected].
Are any of George Eastman’s letters available to view online? How can I access them?
Eastman's outgoing letters are available to view and search on a terminal in our study center. Though Eastman's incoming letters have been indexed, they have not yet been scanned and need to be browsed in person.
Can I donate to the collection?
Please contact Kathy Connor, curator of the George Eastman Legacy Collection, at [email protected].
Contact [email protected] with further questions. To schedule an appointment, visit our research request form.
Is there a way to search the library?
The library collection is searchable through the University of Rochester's catalog: Browse the Library
The museum offers online access to finding aids for primary resources housed in its collections. Finding aids are added to the website on an ongoing basis: Finding Aids