Eastman House, Rochester

After a particularly weird week, it became necessary to get away, mentally and physically, so what better time to see an out of the way museum. George Eastman House (aka the Kodak Photography Museum) in Rochester has been in the back of my mind for a while, and now that Kodak is having financial troubles it’s high time to see it before it changes/shuts down. So off we went to Rochester and here is the photographic evidence to prove it.

The collection is impressive, but maybe a bit brief, although it rotates frequently because of the museum’s size. As such, it mainly resulted in my googling of artists I have not devoted enough time to like Heinrich Kühn, Julia Margaret Cameron or Garry Winogrand and the search term “lady cameras” after coming across these. The adjoining Eastman home was also a sight not to be missed, and brought on a mix of awe (now that’s what you call a sun room!) and disgust (elephant foot garbage can!?!). I still can’t understand how a person reconciles philanthropy with that kind of blatant cruelty. But I also can’t help but be thankful for the wealth that allowed him to amass and preserve one of the greatest collections of film and photography.

I didn’t leave without my own trophy: The New York Times Photographs. Which I practically had to drag home, since it weighs about 10lbs.

And while the other charms of Rochester are not immediately apparent (the downtown core is pretty run down and desolate), there is a lovely day-trip’s worth of enjoyment to be had.

TRY:
• A Tuscan Melt sandwich and beer at Starry Nites
• A walk in Washington Grove Park on top of Cobbs Hill. There is a pristine water reservoir up there and the cherry blossoms were going nuts this weekend.
• Keep your eyes peeled for some beautiful (and candy-colored) historic homes along Oxford Street and on the outskirts of the city near the town of Brighton. In general, architectural gems abound.

Toronto arcoss the lake