George Eastman House
Encyclopedia
The George Eastman House is the world's oldest museum
dedicated to photography
and one of the world's oldest film archives, opened to the public in 1949 in Rochester, New York
, USA. World-renowned for its photograph and motion picture archives, the museum is also a leader in film preservation
and photograph conservation
, educating archivists and conservators from around the world. Home to the Dryden Theatre
, a 535-seat repertory theater, the museum is located in and around the house built by George Eastman
, the founder of Eastman Kodak
Company. The house was designated a National Historic Landmark
in 1966.
, including his house, was bequeathed upon his death to the University of Rochester
. University presidents (first Benjamin Rush Rhees
, then Alan Valentine
) occupied the house for ten years. After World War II
, the university transferred the property to a board of trustees.
The George Eastman House Museum of Photography was chartered in 1947. Today, the museum's full name is the George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film. From the outset, the museum's mission has been to collect, preserve, and present the history of photography
and film
. The museum opened its doors on November 9, 1949, displaying its core collections in the former public rooms of Eastman's house. The museum's original collections — including the Medicus collection of Civil War photographs
by Alexander Gardner
, Eastman Kodak Company's historical collection, and the massive Gabriel Cromer collection from France — attracted significant additions over the next 40 years. Entire archives, corporate collections, and artists' lifetime portfolios have been donated to the Eastman House, as well as an assemblage of rare motion picture
s and ephemera
.
By 1984, the museum's holdings were considered by many to be among the world's finest. However, with the collections growing at a rapid pace, the museum increasingly suffered from its own success. With an increasing number of materials to store, protect, and study, additional space became critical. A new facility opened to the public in January 1989.
In 1996, the museum opened the Louis B. Mayer Conservation Center in nearby Chili, New York
. One of only four film conservation centers in the United States (as of March 2006), the facility houses the museum's rare 35 mm prints made on cellulose nitrate. That same year, the Eastman House launched the first school of film preservation
in the United States to teach restoration, preservation, and archiving of motion pictures. The L. Jeffrey Selznick School of Film Preservation is supported by a grant from The Louis B. Mayer Foundation.
In 1999, George Eastman House launched the Mellon Advanced Residency Program in Photograph Conservation
,
made possible with grant support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
. The program trains top photograph archivists and conservators from around the world.
George Eastman House arranged groundbreaking exhibitions such as New Topographics.
George Eastman House is headed by a board of trustees, with Thomas H. Jackson
being the chair. The board appoints the director of George Eastman House, currently Anthony Bannon
.
s and negative
s dating from the invention of photography to the present day; 23,000 films and several million film stills; 43,000 publication
s; and more than 25,000 pieces of technology
.
The museum is also an important repository of the work of Stieglitz and Edward Steichen
.
Virtually every major photographer who has emerged in the past 50 years is represented, although the changing realities of the photographic marketplace dictate a greater selectivity in the acquisition of works than ever before. Notable contemporary photographers include Steve McCurry
, Robert Frank
, Ed Kashi
, James Nachtwey
, Sebastião Salgado
, Manuel Rivera-Ortiz
or Larry Towell
.
(1915-2000) who helped to build George Eastman House as a leading force in the field with holdings of over 25,000 titles and a collection of stills, posters and papers with over 3 million artifacts.
Its historically first recipient became a multi-winner of Academy Awards
and Golden Globes, Jessica Lange
.
(1854–1932) built his home at 900 East Avenue between 1902 and 1905. He created a unique urban estate complete with 10.5 acres (42,492 m²) of working farm land, formal gardens, greenhouses, stables, barns, pastures, and a 35000 square feet (3,251.6 m²), 50-room Colonial Revival mansion with a fireproof structure made of reinforced concrete.
Eastman's house presented a classical facade
of decorative craftsmanship. Beneath this exterior were such modern conveniences as an electrical generator
, an internal telephone system with 21 stations, a built-in vacuum cleaning system, a central clock network, an elevator
, and a great pipe organ
, which made the home itself an instrument, a center of the city's rich musical life from 1905 until Eastman's death in 1932.
The house was declared a National Historic Landmark
in 1966.
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
dedicated to photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
and one of the world's oldest film archives, opened to the public in 1949 in Rochester, New York
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
, USA. World-renowned for its photograph and motion picture archives, the museum is also a leader in film preservation
Film preservation
thumb|300px|Stacked containers filled with reels of [[film stock]]The film preservation, or film restoration, movement is an ongoing project among film historians, archivists, museums, cinematheques, and non-profit organizations to rescue decaying film stock and preserve the images which they contain...
and photograph conservation
Photograph conservation
Photograph conservation is the study of the physical care and treatment of photographic materials, including an in-depth understanding of how photographs are made, and the causes and prevention of deterioration. Conservators use this knowledge to treat photographic materials, stabilizing them from...
, educating archivists and conservators from around the world. Home to the Dryden Theatre
Dryden Theatre
The Dryden Theatre is located within the George Eastman House, in Rochester, New York in the United States.The theatre is the primary exhibition space for showcasing the museum's collection of motion pictures, recent preservations as well as travelling exhibitions, and premiers of new foreign, and...
, a 535-seat repertory theater, the museum is located in and around the house built by George Eastman
George Eastman
George Eastman was an American innovator and entrepreneur who founded the Eastman Kodak Company and invented roll film, helping to bring photography to the mainstream...
, the founder of Eastman Kodak
Eastman Kodak
Eastman Kodak Company is a multinational imaging and photographic equipment, materials and services company headquarted in Rochester, New York, United States. It was founded by George Eastman in 1892....
Company. The house was designated a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1966.
History
The estate of George EastmanGeorge Eastman
George Eastman was an American innovator and entrepreneur who founded the Eastman Kodak Company and invented roll film, helping to bring photography to the mainstream...
, including his house, was bequeathed upon his death to the University of Rochester
University of Rochester
The University of Rochester is a private, nonsectarian, research university in Rochester, New York, United States. The university grants undergraduate and graduate degrees, including doctoral and professional degrees. The university has six schools and various interdisciplinary programs.The...
. University presidents (first Benjamin Rush Rhees
Benjamin Rush Rhees
Benjamin Rush Rhees was the third president of the University of Rochester, serving from 1900-1935.-Education:Rhees earned his undergraduate degrees from Amherst College where he was a member of Alpha Delta Phi...
, then Alan Valentine
Alan Valentine
Alan Chester Valentine competed on the gold-medal winning American rugby union team in the 1924 Summer Olympics.-Biography:...
) occupied the house for ten years. After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the university transferred the property to a board of trustees.
The George Eastman House Museum of Photography was chartered in 1947. Today, the museum's full name is the George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film. From the outset, the museum's mission has been to collect, preserve, and present the history of photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
and film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
. The museum opened its doors on November 9, 1949, displaying its core collections in the former public rooms of Eastman's house. The museum's original collections — including the Medicus collection of Civil War photographs
Photography and photographers of the American Civil War
There were a good number of battles and other scenes of the American Civil War, and collectively they have provided the world with a visual first hand account of this otherwise fleeting period in American history. The American Civil War was the fourth war in history to be caught on camera...
by Alexander Gardner
Alexander Gardner (photographer)
Alexander Gardner was a Scottish photographer who moved to the United States in 1856 where he developed his profession. He is best known for his photographs of the American Civil War, American President Abraham Lincoln, and the execution of the conspirators to Lincoln's...
, Eastman Kodak Company's historical collection, and the massive Gabriel Cromer collection from France — attracted significant additions over the next 40 years. Entire archives, corporate collections, and artists' lifetime portfolios have been donated to the Eastman House, as well as an assemblage of rare motion picture
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
s and ephemera
Ephemera
Ephemera are transitory written and printed matter not intended to be retained or preserved. The word derives from the Greek, meaning things lasting no more than a day. Some collectible ephemera are advertising trade cards, airsickness bags, bookmarks, catalogues, greeting cards, letters,...
.
By 1984, the museum's holdings were considered by many to be among the world's finest. However, with the collections growing at a rapid pace, the museum increasingly suffered from its own success. With an increasing number of materials to store, protect, and study, additional space became critical. A new facility opened to the public in January 1989.
Chili, New York
Chili is a town in Monroe County, New York, USA. The population was 28,625 at the 2010 census. It is a suburb of the city of Rochester.The Town of Chili was established in 1822 from part of the Town of Riga....
. One of only four film conservation centers in the United States (as of March 2006), the facility houses the museum's rare 35 mm prints made on cellulose nitrate. That same year, the Eastman House launched the first school of film preservation
Film preservation
thumb|300px|Stacked containers filled with reels of [[film stock]]The film preservation, or film restoration, movement is an ongoing project among film historians, archivists, museums, cinematheques, and non-profit organizations to rescue decaying film stock and preserve the images which they contain...
in the United States to teach restoration, preservation, and archiving of motion pictures. The L. Jeffrey Selznick School of Film Preservation is supported by a grant from The Louis B. Mayer Foundation.
In 1999, George Eastman House launched the Mellon Advanced Residency Program in Photograph Conservation
Photograph conservation
Photograph conservation is the study of the physical care and treatment of photographic materials, including an in-depth understanding of how photographs are made, and the causes and prevention of deterioration. Conservators use this knowledge to treat photographic materials, stabilizing them from...
,
made possible with grant support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation of New York City and Princeton, New Jersey in the United States, is a private foundation with five core areas of interest, endowed with wealth accumulated by the late Andrew W. Mellon of the Mellon family of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is the product of the 1969...
. The program trains top photograph archivists and conservators from around the world.
George Eastman House arranged groundbreaking exhibitions such as New Topographics.
George Eastman House is headed by a board of trustees, with Thomas H. Jackson
Thomas H. Jackson
Thomas H. Jackson was the ninth president of the University of Rochester, preceded by Dennis O'Brien. Jackson held the position of president from 1994 until he formally stepped down on June 30, 2005 and was succeeded by Joel Seligman...
being the chair. The board appoints the director of George Eastman House, currently Anthony Bannon
Anthony Bannon
Anthony Bannon is the seventh director of George Eastman House, International Museum of Photography & Film, located in Rochester, N.Y., and has served in that position longer than any other director in the museum’s history...
.
| Name | Tenure |
|---|---|
| Oscar N. Solbert Oscar Solbert Oscar Nathaniel Solbert was an American general, business executive and the first director of George Eastman House.... |
1947 – 1958 |
| Beaumont Newhall Beaumont Newhall Beaumont Newhall was an influential curator, art historian, writer, and photographer. His The History of Photography remains one of the most significant accounts in the field and has become a classic photo history textbook... |
1958 – 1971 |
| Van Deren Coke Van Deren Coke Van Deren Coke was an American photographer, scholar and museum professional.He was the founding director of the University of New Mexico Art Museum... |
1971 – 1972 |
| Robert J. Doherty Robert J. Doherty Robert J. Doherty is an American photographer, scholar and museum professional. His photographic work was first shown at Watertown, Connecticut, then at The Arts Club of Louisville, Louisville Art Center Association School, and at the Allen R. Hite Art Institute, University of Louisville... |
1972 – 1981 |
| Robert A. Mayer Robert A. Mayer Robert A. Mayer was Director of George Eastman House from 1981 - 1989. He also served as President of the Museum Association of New York from 1986 - 1988. Mayer made the disputed proposal to transfer the museum's collections of photographs, films and cameras to the Smithsonian Institution in... |
1981 – 1989 |
| James L. Enyeart James L. Enyeart James L. Enyeart is an American photographer, scholar and museum director.-Career:Enyeart was Director of George Eastman House from 1989 to 1995. Before that he served as Director of the Center for creative Photography at the University of Arizona from 1977 to 1989... |
1989 – 1995 |
| Anthony Bannon Anthony Bannon Anthony Bannon is the seventh director of George Eastman House, International Museum of Photography & Film, located in Rochester, N.Y., and has served in that position longer than any other director in the museum’s history... |
1996 – present |
Collections
The museum's permanent collection comprises more than 400,000 photographPhotograph
A photograph is an image created by light falling on a light-sensitive surface, usually photographic film or an electronic imager such as a CCD or a CMOS chip. Most photographs are created using a camera, which uses a lens to focus the scene's visible wavelengths of light into a reproduction of...
s and negative
Negative (photography)
In photography, a negative may refer to three different things, although they are all related.-A negative:Film for 35 mm cameras comes in long narrow strips of chemical-coated plastic or cellulose acetate. As each image is captured by the camera onto the film strip, the film strip advances so that...
s dating from the invention of photography to the present day; 23,000 films and several million film stills; 43,000 publication
Publication
To publish is to make content available to the public. While specific use of the term may vary among countries, it is usually applied to text, images, or other audio-visual content on any medium, including paper or electronic publishing forms such as websites, e-books, Compact Discs and MP3s...
s; and more than 25,000 pieces of technology
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
.
Photography collection
The photography collection embraces numerous landmark processes, objects of great rarity, and monuments of art history that trace the evolution of the medium as a technology, as a means of scientific and historical documentation, and as one of the most potent and accessible means of personal expression of the modern era. More than 14,000 photographers are represented in the collection, including virtually all the major figures in the history of the medium. The collection includes original vintage works produced by nearly every process and printing medium employed. Notable holdings include:- A major collection of Ansel AdamsAnsel AdamsAnsel Easton Adams was an American photographer and environmentalist, best known for his black-and-white photographs of the American West, especially in Yosemite National Park....
’ early and vintage prints - A major collection of nineteenth-century photographs of the American West
- A major collection of early French photography
- One of the largest collections of daguerreotypes in the world
The museum is also an important repository of the work of Stieglitz and Edward Steichen
Edward Steichen
Edward J. Steichen was an American photographer, painter, and art gallery and museum curator. He was the most frequently featured photographer in Alfred Stieglitz' groundbreaking magazine Camera Work during its run from 1903 to 1917. Steichen also contributed the logo design and a custom typeface...
.
Virtually every major photographer who has emerged in the past 50 years is represented, although the changing realities of the photographic marketplace dictate a greater selectivity in the acquisition of works than ever before. Notable contemporary photographers include Steve McCurry
Steve McCurry
Steve McCurry is an American photojournalist best known for his photograph, "Afghan Girl" that originally appeared in National Geographic magazine.-Early life:...
, Robert Frank
Robert Frank
Robert Frank , born in Zürich, Switzerland, is an important figure in American photography and film. His most notable work, the 1958 photobook titled The Americans, was influential, and earned Frank comparisons to a modern-day de Tocqueville for his fresh and skeptical outsider's view of American...
, Ed Kashi
Ed Kashi
Ed Kashi is an American photojournalist and member of VII Photo based in the Greater New York area. Kashi's award-winning work spans from high-end print photojournalism to experimental film...
, James Nachtwey
James Nachtwey
James Nachtwey is an American photojournalist and war photographer.He grew up in Massachusetts and graduated from Dartmouth College, where he studied Art History and Political Science ....
, Sebastião Salgado
Sebastião Salgado
Sebastião Salgado is a Brazilian social documentary photographer and photojournalist.-Biography:Salgado was born on February 8, 1944 in Aimorés, in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. After a somewhat itinerant childhood, Salgado initially trained as an economist, earning a master’s degree in...
, Manuel Rivera-Ortiz
Manuel Rivera-Ortiz
Manuel Rivera-Ortiz is an American documentary photographer of Puerto Rican descent, the author of several photographic collections and the recipient of a number of awards. He is best known for his documentary photographs of people's living conditions in less developed countries...
or Larry Towell
Larry Towell
Larry Towell is a Canadian photographer, poet, and oral historian.Towell grew up in a large family in rural Ontario and studied visual arts at York University in Toronto where his interest in photography first began...
.
Motion picture collection
The motion picture collection is one of the major moving image archives in the United States. It was established in 1949 by the first curator of film, James CardJames Card
James Card was a film preservationist who established the motion picture collection at George Eastman House, one of the major moving image archives in the United States....
(1915-2000) who helped to build George Eastman House as a leading force in the field with holdings of over 25,000 titles and a collection of stills, posters and papers with over 3 million artifacts.
George Eastman House Honors Award
In 2009, the George Eastman House Honors Award was established, which is given to artists whose lifetime contribution embodies the traditions and values championed by the international museum.Its historically first recipient became a multi-winner of Academy Awards
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
and Golden Globes, Jessica Lange
Jessica Lange
Jessica Phyllis Lange is an American actress who has worked in film, theatre and television. The recipient of several awards, including two Academy Awards, four Golden Globes and one Emmy, Lange is regarded as one of the première female actors of her generation.Lange was discovered by producer...
.
The Eastman House
George EastmanGeorge Eastman
George Eastman was an American innovator and entrepreneur who founded the Eastman Kodak Company and invented roll film, helping to bring photography to the mainstream...
(1854–1932) built his home at 900 East Avenue between 1902 and 1905. He created a unique urban estate complete with 10.5 acres (42,492 m²) of working farm land, formal gardens, greenhouses, stables, barns, pastures, and a 35000 square feet (3,251.6 m²), 50-room Colonial Revival mansion with a fireproof structure made of reinforced concrete.
Eastman's house presented a classical facade
Facade
A facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
of decorative craftsmanship. Beneath this exterior were such modern conveniences as an electrical generator
Electrical generator
In electricity generation, an electric generator is a device that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy. A generator forces electric charge to flow through an external electrical circuit. It is analogous to a water pump, which causes water to flow...
, an internal telephone system with 21 stations, a built-in vacuum cleaning system, a central clock network, an elevator
Elevator
An elevator is a type of vertical transport equipment that efficiently moves people or goods between floors of a building, vessel or other structures...
, and a great pipe organ
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
, which made the home itself an instrument, a center of the city's rich musical life from 1905 until Eastman's death in 1932.
The house was declared a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1966.