George Eastman Museum facts for kids
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George Eastman Museum
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George Eastman Museum in Rochester, New York
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| Location | 900 East Avenue, Rochester, New York, United States |
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| Built | 1905 1949 (museum opened) |
| Architect | J. Foster Warner McKim, Mead and White (interiors) |
| Architectural style | Georgian Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000529 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | November 13, 1966 |
| Designated NHL | November 13, 1966 |
The George Eastman Museum is a special place in Rochester, New York. It's a museum all about photography and film. It's also known as the George Eastman House. This museum opened in 1949. It is the oldest museum focused on photography. It's also one of the oldest places in the world that keeps old films safe.
The museum has huge collections of photos and movies. It's also a leader in saving old films and photographs. They teach people from all over the world how to take care of these important items. The museum is located at the home of George Eastman. He was the person who started the Eastman Kodak Company. His home became a special historical place in 1966. The museum also has a 500-seat movie theater called the Dryden Theatre.
Contents
History of the Museum
George Eastman (1854–1932) was a famous inventor. He created Kodak, a company that made cameras and film. When he passed away, he left his big home in Rochester to the University of Rochester. For ten years, the university presidents lived in the mansion.
In 1948, the university gave the house and land to the museum. The beautiful house, built in the Georgian Revival Style, was then changed to become a museum. The George Eastman House officially became a museum in 1947. Its main goal was to collect, save, and show the history of photography and film. The museum first opened its doors on November 9, 1949. It showed its main collections in the rooms where Eastman used to entertain guests. In October 2015, the museum changed its name to the George Eastman Museum.
The museum started with amazing collections. These included Civil War photographs by Alexander Gardner. It also had historical items from Eastman Kodak Company. A very large collection of French photos from the 1800s, called the Gabriel Cromer collection, was also part of it. Over time, the museum received many donations. These included whole collections from famous photographers. Thousands of motion pictures and movie-related items were also added.
By 1984, the museum needed more space. Its collections were growing very fast. It became hard to store and study all the new items. In 1985, Kodak helped the museum. They gave money from selling a building. This money helped the museum stay in Rochester. It also helped them build new spaces. In January 1989, the museum opened its new expansion.
In 1996, the museum opened the Louis B. Mayer Conservation Center. This center is in Chili, a nearby town. It's one of only a few places in the United States that saves old films. This center keeps rare 35 mm films made on cellulose nitrate safe. In the same year, the Eastman House started the first school in the U.S. to teach how to save and restore movies. This school is called the L. Jeffrey Selznick School of Film Preservation.
In 1999, the George Eastman Museum started another important program. It was called the Mellon Advanced Residency Program in Photograph Conservation. This program trained top experts from around the world. They learned how to save and care for old photographs.
Museum Leadership
Museum Directors
The person in charge of the George Eastman Museum is called the director. The current director is Bruce Barnes. He started this job in September 2012.
| Name | Years in Charge |
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| Oscar N. Solbert | 1947–1958 |
| Beaumont Newhall | 1958–1971 |
| Van Deren Coke | 1971–1972 |
| Robert J. Doherty | 1972–1981 |
| Robert A. Mayer | 1981–1989 |
| James L. Enyeart | 1989–1995 |
| Anthony Bannon | 1996–2012 |
| Bruce Barnes | 2012–present |
Board of Trustees
A group of people called the board of trustees helps lead the George Eastman Museum. Nannette Nocon is currently the head of this board.
Museum Collections
The museum has a huge number of items. It has over 400,000 photographs and negatives. These photos show the history of photography from the very beginning until today. There are also 28,000 motion picture films. Plus, there are three million other movie-related items. These include letters, scripts, posters, and pictures of movie stars. The museum also has more than 16,000 items of camera and movie equipment. There's also a large collection of books and materials for research. Finally, George Eastman's own home items, letters, and personal photos are part of the collection.
Photography Collection
The photography collection shows how cameras and photos have changed. It includes very rare items and famous artworks. These items show how photography became a way to document history and express ideas. More than 14,000 photographers are in the collection. This includes almost all the major artists in photography history. The collection has original works made with nearly every type of photo process. Some important parts of the collection are:
- One of the world's biggest collections of daguerreotypes. These are very early types of photographs.
- A large collection of photos of the American West from the 1800s. These were taken by photographers like Carleton Watkins and Eadweard Muybridge.
- Many glass negatives from the early 1900s by French photojournalist Charles Chusseau-Flaviens.
- The collections of famous photographers like Lewis Hine and Edward Steichen.
- A big collection of early prints by Ansel Adams.
The museum also has works by modern artists. These include Andy Warhol, Cindy Sherman, and Vik Muniz.
Moving Image Collection
The George Eastman Museum Motion Picture Collection is one of the biggest film archives in the United States. It started in 1949. James Card (1915–2000) was the first film curator. He helped the museum become a leader in saving films. The collection has over 25,000 movie titles. It also has over 3 million items like movie stills, posters, and papers. The museum's collection includes all the moving-image works by William Kentridge.
George Eastman Legacy Collection
This collection includes George Eastman's house itself. It also has the George Eastman Archive and Study Center. This center opened in April 1999. It holds Eastman's personal belongings and documents about Kodak's early days. It has over half a million items kept safe in a special room. You can visit the archive from the second floor of the house. Inside the house, you can see parts of Eastman's coffin. There's also a mounted elephant head and a large Aeolian pipe organ.
Fire Incident
On May 30, 1978, a fire happened at the museum. Some rare movie films and old photographs were lost. This included original negatives for some cartoons made before 1951. However, the damage was not as bad as first thought.
George Eastman Awards
The George Eastman Museum started the George Eastman Award in 1955. This award honors people who have made great contributions to the art of film. It was the first award given by an American film archive and museum.
Award Recipients
- 1965 – Fred Astaire (Actor)
- 1973 – Johnny Weissmuller (Actor)
- 1975 – Blanche Sweet (Actor)
- 1976 – George Cukor (Director), Karl Struss (Cinematographer)
- 1978 – James Stewart (Actor), Willard Van Dyke (Director)
- 1982 – Joan Bennett (Actor), Louise Brooks (Actor), Dolores del Río (Actor), Myrna Loy (Actor), Maureen O'Sullivan (Actor), Luise Rainer (Actor), Sylvia Sidney (Actor)
- 1987 – Gregory Peck (Actor)
- 1990 – Lauren Bacall (Actor)
- 1992 – Audrey Hepburn (Actor)
- 1994 – Martin Scorsese (Filmmaker)
- 1997 – Isabella Rossellini (Actor)
- 1999 – Meryl Streep (Actor)
- 2003 – Kim Novak (Actor)
- 2012 – Richard Gere (Actor, Activist)
- 2013 – Roger Corman (Director, Producer, Distributor)
- 2015 – Michael Douglas (Actor, Producer)
- 2016 – Michael Keaton (Actor)
- 2017 – Vittorio Storaro (Cinematographer)
- 2019 – Julia Roberts (Actor, Producer)
- 2023 - Jodie Foster (Actor, Director)
- 2024 - Goldie Hawn (Actor, Producer)
George Eastman's Home
George Eastman built his amazing home at 900 East Avenue. He built it between 1902 and 1905. It was a unique estate in the city. It had 10.5 acres of farmland, beautiful gardens, and even stables. The main house was a huge 50-room mansion. It was about 35,000 square feet. It was built to be fireproof using strong concrete.
Eastman's house looked like a fancy Georgian Revival building. But inside, it had very modern features for its time. It had its own electrical generator. There was an internal phone system with 21 phones. It even had a built-in vacuum cleaning system. There was a central clock network and an elevator. A large Aeolian pipe organ was also a special feature. Eastman used his home as a center for music in the city. He lived there from 1905 until he passed away in 1932.
Visitors are welcome to take photos at the museum. The museum says it's a popular spot for family, engagement, and senior photos. The estate was named a National Historic Landmark in 1966.
