During my recent trip to Canada, I stopped to visit the George Eastman Museum, which comprises three facilities: the museum containing articles and objects from photography history, the mansion where Eastman lived and hosted parties in the 1930s, and an outstanding garden.
If you want to take a peak at the article I wrote about the Museum, here it is:
A visit to the George Eastman Museum
This is something I always wanted to do since I moved to NJ, it is a 6 hour drive, not something you can do back and forth at the same say, but ideal for a 3-5 day road trip. Not to stay all the 5 days in Rochester, but to take the opportunity to visit Canada, which is what I did after.
The George Eastman Mansion is a historic 50-room Colonial Revival estate located at 900 East Avenue in Rochester, New York. Built in 1905 (construction started in 1902), the mansion exudes character and charm. During my research, I discovered it was a house constructed ahead of its time, featuring an internal phone system, a built-in vacuum cleaning system, and an early house elevator. Eastman designed the elevator specifically for his mother, to whom he was deeply devoted. Her health confined her to a wheelchair in her final years, and he thoughtfully designed her suite to overlook the gardens. I took a photo of her room and wheelchair as well.
I brought with me the Mamiya 7ii and rolls of Portra 400 for the museum and mansion, along with a roll of Ektar for the garden (photos and a post about the garden coming soon!). Notably, there’s a massive Aeolian pipe organ housed there, with an extensive collection of songs. I later discovered the organ has over 6,300 pipes, which Eastman used to host grand musical evenings for the community. I attempted to photograph it with the Portra 400, but the light was too dim for my f/4 lens, and I didn’t want to resort to digital shots.
The mansion contains rooms of various types, including a game room, library, office, and others.
Several things caught my attention during the visit. One was the safe hidden beneath a staircase, which features an open combination so visitors can open it. And what’s inside? Another safe! I suspect that was a common security practice back then.
It’s also worth inspecting the closets, bathrooms, and products that were used throughout the mansion. The library is particularly captivating. I can easily imagine the winters in Rochester spent inside that place: snow outside, a fireplace burning indoors, and being surrounded by the home of the man who fundamentally transformed photography through his cameras and films.
While at the mansion, you can freely explore the rooms, closets, bathrooms, and other amenities. Some floors and rooms are locked, and notably, I didn’t spot a kitchen. If you plan to photograph there with film, I strongly recommend bringing ISO 800 and pushing it to 1600, as the interior lighting is quite dim. My Mamiya’s lens is f/4, and most of these shots were taken at 1/8 second.
More photos
Please consider subscribing to Camera Clara for more articles right in your inbox! Quality over quantity, with the forever love for film photography and its techniques. With a paid subscription, you can shoot me a DM anytime, and we can arrange video calls where I can help you with your photograph needs, let’s be friends.
