Picture Perfect: George Eastman House
Located on historic East Avenue in Rochester, New York, the 12.5-acre museum site was the urban estate of George Eastman, founder of Eastman Kodak Company. The Museum focuses on the 150-year history of the art, technology, and impact of photography and motion pictures – media that continue to change our perception of the world. The 1910 Colonial era house, where Eastman lived and died, offers a glimpse into the private world of this marketing genius who invented the word “Kodak” and made photographers of us all!
JUST PRESS THE BUTTON!
George Eastman made photography available to the masses with his inexpensive little black box of a camera – the Brownie. The public response was overwhelming – he couldn’t produce them quickly enough.
HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
Ansel Adams’ first camera was a second-hand Brownie, which he took to the Yosemite Valley. Later he returned to document the great Sierras. Adams was not surprised by the success of the medium.
HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME
In 1931 Mr. Eastman was invited to be an honorary life member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences for his contributions to the development of the motion picture industry. It seems only natural that today the George Eastman House is one of the premier film archives in the world, engaged in the preservation and restoration of the “movies” themselves.
A TREASURE TROVE
The treasure trove at the George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film in Rochester, New York includes more than 25,000 films. The Museum’s Film Archives of history’s so-called “greatest hits” include everything from King Kong and the Phantom of the Opera to Citizen Kane and Casablanca.
.to the films of Martin Scorsese and Spike Lee.