Rochester’s Eastman Museum: A Must for Photo Fans & Connoisseurs of Life

‘I wish I’d spent more time in Rochester” isn’t the mother of all laments, but I did find this culture hub far more appealing than I imagined, in big part because of the Eastman Museum. Called George Eastman House for years in memory of the film-roll-and-camera entrepreneur, it has to be considered one of the most unsung yet definitive museums in America.

Its specialty, in which it’s probably the ultimate authority, is photography and the art of film. Film, and Eastman (1854–1932) was among its founding fathers, is more than a medium. It is cultural puissance, a word to be used for the rarest of powers. It’s that thin, flexible, plastic strip coated with an emulsion that, when exposed to light, captures the world. From the amateur’s photographs shot with Brownies to blockbuster movies, the Eastman Museum has got it all. It’s an august proposition and, still, an inviting and comfortable place.

About the Author

Brian T. Allen

Brian T. Allen is National Review’s art critic.

‘I wish I’d spent more time in Rochester” isn’t the mother of all laments, but I did find this culture hub far more appealing than I imagined, in big part because of the Eastman Museum. Called George Eastman House for years in memory of the film-roll-and-camera entrepreneur, it has to be considered one of the most unsung yet definitive museums in America.

Its specialty, in which it’s probably the ultimate authority, is photography and the art of film. Film, and Eastman (1854–1932) was among its founding fathers, is more than a medium. It is cultural puissance, a word to be used for the rarest of powers. It’s that thin, flexible, plastic strip coated with an emulsion that, when exposed to light, captures the world. From the amateur’s photographs shot with Brownies to blockbuster movies, the Eastman Museum has got it all. It’s an august proposition and, still, an inviting and comfortable place.