Photography and More at the George Eastman Museum

George Eastman Museum Photo: Kathleen Walls
Posted October 25, 2024
Somewhat of an enigma, George Eastman moved the photography world ahead with amazing inventions. He was a philanthropist, second only to Rockefeller and Carnegie. Yet, the artifacts in his museum include the mounted head of an elephant he traveled to Africa to kill. Even his death by suicide seems odd—although his death certificate adds additional information. He left a note saying, “To my friends, my work is done—Why wait?”
His Rochester home now houses the George Eastman Museum where his work and story take center stage. In many ways, Eastman was the master of excess. Other millionaires built mansions on East Avenue in Rochester in the early 20th century. Eastman built a mansion too, but he didn’t stop there. He created an eight-and-a-half-acre farm complete with a barn, chicken coop, orchard, stables, and three gardens to grow flowers, herbs, and vegetables.
Exploring Eastman’s Colorful Creativity
Before entering the museum, stop to admire one of Eastman’s early advertising campaigns—Colorama 424 which shows a herd of llamas standing on a plateau in Peru overlooking Machu Picchu. The campaign featured a series of giant technicolor images 18 feet tall and 60 feet wide nicknamed the world’s largest photographs. Known as the most successful advertising and longest running campaign in the 20th century, it was shown in Grand Central station.
Inside the museum, a collection of old cameras shares much of the Eastman story displaying a small Brownie and lots of Kodaks. The exhibit also chronicled Eastman’s inventions that opened photography as an amateur hobby instead of just professionals.
One placard in a case showcases his earlier cameras explained how he moved past his original patents for the dry plate negatives to a flexible film. His early Kodaks were designed with this film. A user could take 100 shots, then mail the camera and $10 to Eastman Kodak. The company would develop the film, make prints, refill the camera, and send them all back to the photographer. Their slogan was, “You press the button, we do the rest.”
A Library Garden serves as an adaptation of Eastman’s original cut-flower garden and sits on top of the underground two-story vault that stores the museum’s photography, technology, and motion picture archives.

Colorama 424 Photo: Kathleen Walls
A Photo of Eastman’s Personal Life
Entering Eastman’s former home provides a peek into his personal life. The dining room’s embossed ceiling, paneled walls, and marble fireplace showcase the room’s centerpiece—a white tablecloth covered table set for six with white and gold China and surrounded by blue upholstered mahogany chairs.
The next room, the Conservatory, is the center of the mansion. Here sunshine streams into the room through three sets of windows and a glass door showing off the garden and a huge skylight overhead.
Mounted over the door exists a replica of a single-tusk elephant Eastman killed on an African safari in 1926. Despite his philanthropy, he proudly displayed the head of this magnificent elephant. He also killed lions, rhinos, and antelope. But in his time, killing innocent animals was an accepted part of American culture.

Elephant in the Conservancy Photo: Kathleen Walls
When Symmetry is Off, Stubbornness Emerges
The first thing anyone notices after the elephant in the room is the symmetry is off here. Eastman liked symmetry, so what happened here tells us a lot about his brilliance and his stubbornness. Docent Maureen O’Connor shares the story. “Eastman loved music and, since this was his favorite place to dine, he had an Opus 947 organ installed when he moved here in 1905 and brought an organist in to play for him. But he wasn’t happy with the sound. So, if you’re Mr. Eastman and you want more sound, you get another organ and you put an Opus1416 in the room above the dining room. As he sat there eating lunch with the organist playing, he had surround sound—around 1916. As he listened to that sound, he realized it didn’t sound perfect.”
O’Connor points to the overhead skylight and notes it is square and not centered. She explains what happened next. “Eastman decided he wanted the house cut in half and pushed back 9 feet 9 inches, making the conservatory the rectangular shape it is today. His architects told him it was not practical, but he insisted even though it cost him twice as much as building the original mansion.”

Organ in the George Eastman Museum
More Exhibits in Eastman’s Home
In Eastman’s home, the billiard room, library, great hall, and living room are downstairs. Up the grand staircase on the second floor, is the restored bedroom suite of Eastman’s mother, Maria Kilbourn Eastman. He was very close to his mother, who died just two years after they moved into the mansion. Photographs and paintings of Eastman, his mother, father, and his niece Ellen Dryden with whom he was very close provide a glimpse into his personal life. Also on display, Eastman’s death certificate states his cause of death a suicide while temporarily insane. The additional works were added at Eastman’s niece’s request as she wished him to be buried in the church cemetery.
A room designed as a giant camera provides an interactive experience. Stepping inside there was a hole where outside light came in and reflected on the rear wall. It really felt like I was standing in a giant Brownie Box Camera.
The George Eastman Museum is the world’s oldest museum dedicated to photography. The massive museum includes exhibits, Eastman’s home, the 500-seat Dryden Theatre showing clips from old videos, a gift shop, and a small restaurant, the Open Face Café—and the elephant on the wall.