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In celebrating its 75th anniversary, the George Eastman Museum is featuring an exhibition titled “Life with Photographs: 75 Years of the Eastman Museum,” to commemorate and honor the history of photography.
“Life with Photographs,” which opened last month and runs through August 2025, serves as an exploration of the medium and its relationship to the human condition. Divided into seven sections, the exhibition highlights the evolution and impact of photography.
Sections range from Before Photography, where featured items depict an age before the photographic medium, to those like Photography Groups and Languages of Form, which expand on the medium itself into interpretations that center the content and overall artistry of photography. With pieces ranging from experimental, computerized works to still-life backdrops, the exhibit features not just the full range of photography, but the range with which its users have been able to intertwine the medium with life itself.
“The challenge with such a deep and amazing collection is narrowing down what we will exhibit,” says Jamie Allen, Stephen B. and Janice G. Ashley Curator and head of the department of photography at the museum. A team of four curators collaborated on each section to curate thematic selections that highlighted each era of photography through their impact and perspective on contemporary society.
“Part of our approach to a contemporary interpretation of the medium was to intermix objects from various time periods to show how many of the themes continue over time,” adds Allen. “These physical juxtapositions showcase the various photographic processes, approaches to framing subjects, and influences that may have aided in how individuals imaged the world.”
Questioning Photography features pieces that push the boundaries of the medium with experimental design and output—including a selection from Cory Arcangel’s series Gradients. Designed entirely in Adobe Photoshop, the resulting piece is entirely digital, sparking discussion on what constitutes a photograph, and how the medium evolves with technology.
“In most of the works in (Questioning Photography), there is nothing simple about how the photograph was made,” Allen says. “Some might argue that there is nothing photographic about the work on view except that it is printed on photographic paper. … These works rely heavily on the final, one-of-a-kind object, which is counter to what many people think about as the multiplicity of photography—that one image can be reproduced many times from a negative.”
The medium can be expressed in a variety of ways, she notes, posing unique challenges for the exhibition’s curators. While the evolution of photography can be expressed chronologically, doing so would have diminished the cultural and thematic significance emphasized in each section.
“After dividing up what we felt would become the future sections of the exhibition, each curator looked to make their sections cover the broadest history possible while also showcasing both known and unknown items,” Allen says.
As many of the selections could have fit in multiple sections, each was intentionally designed in relation to one another—whether it be in contrast or in transition.
As the oldest and one of the most extensive photography museums in the world, the George Eastman Museum holds over 400,000 objects that document the history of the medium, from its introduction in 1839 to the present day. With unique lenses into contemporary life and perspective, the resulting exhibition works to accentuate the museum’s extensive collection and testament to the history of photography.
Narm Nathan is a former Rochester Beacon intern and a member of the Beacon Oasis Project’s inaugural cohort. The Beacon welcomes comments and letters from readers who adhere to our comment policy including use of their full, real name. See “Leave a Reply” below to discuss on this post. Comments of a general nature may be submitted to the Letters page by emailing [email protected].
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