Rochester celebrates 150th anniversary
of George Eastman's birth

George Eastman House and the Rochester community kick off this summer the celebration of the 150th anniversary of George Eastman's birth. A variety of commemoration events will mark the impact Eastman - the father of popular photography and motion picture film, as well as one of the country's leading philanthropists - had on Rochester and the world.

The sesquicentennial celebration will acknowledge Eastman's diverse and generous contributions, from establishing the area's largest employer, Eastman Kodak Co., to supporting hundreds of charities and founding numerous organizations. Eastman set the stage in Rochester for a solid health care system and established parks, elevated education, and surrounded residents with music and art. Organizations that Eastman either founded or funded include, among many others, the United Way, Red Cross, University of Rochester, Memorial Art Gallery, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Rochester Dental Dispensary, Eastman School of Music, Rochester Institute of Technology and Hillside Family of Agencies.

Events marking George Eastman's 150th anniversary include:

A display at Sibley Music Library of Eastman School of Music, 27 Gibbs Street, celebrating Eastman's love of music and his involvement with the Eastman School of Music and Eastman Theatre, through August 31. Free admission.

George Eastman Summer Concert Series at Genesee Country Village & Museum: Concerts are on Fridays at 7 p.m. on the Great Meadow. Admission is $5 per concert (free to children ages three and under) or $15 for the series.

Friday, July 9 and Friday, July 23: Genesee Country Village & Museum in Mumford, where Eastman's boyhood home is located, will pay tribute to Eastman's sesquicentennial via its Victorian Dinner Theater series, new this summer. At 8 p.m. the Davis Opera House will host an original melodramatic tribute to George Eastman titled "The Young Mr. Eastman." This play will be performed in the tradition of 1890s American theater. Tickets are $45 and include dinner in the specially decorated 19th century Garden Pavilion Restaurant, complete with costumed interpreters, beginning at 6:30 p.m. Reservations are required.

Saturday, July 10: Birthday party celebration at George Eastman House, 900 East Avenue, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free admission.

A George Eastman driving tour, featuring 24 locations throughout the city of Rochester that highlight Eastman's goal to make Rochester the "best place to live, work and raise a family." Included are sites funded or founded by Eastman, such as parks, universities, and healthcare and arts organizations.

Monday, July 12: In honor of Mr. Eastman's actual birthday (July 12, 1854), Eastman School of Music will host an hour-long concert at 7:30 p.m. in Kilbourn Hall, 26 Gibbs Street, featuring faculty and student performers. Free admission.

University of Rochester opens a year-long exhibition at the Rush Rhees Library, located on Library Road off Elmwood Avenue, titled "Eastman's Princely Bequests to Rochester: Music, Medicine, and Research." Free admission. For information on any of the events call (585) 275-4461.