Sixty years ago today — on Nov. 9, 1949 — George Eastman House opened its doors to the public. Among the guests welcomed that day by the founding board of directors were Ansel Adams, Edward Steichen, and Mary Pickford. And, in a way, these celebrated artists have never left, as we preserve their legacies in our photography and motion picture archives.

Above: Actress Mary Pickford is interviewed by WHAM Radio with General Pershing looking on.

Opening day of George Eastman House garnered international attention. Events were captured on a newsreel that ran in movie theaters worldwide.

Above: Thomas J. Hargrave, president of Kodak, cuts the ribbon of film on the opening day of George Eastman House, Nov. 9, 1949. Esteemed guests included movie stars Mary Pickford and photographers Edward Steichen and Ansel Adams.

Eastman House was the first institution to celebrate photography as an art form, and to collect and preserve motion pictures long before film preservation was a hot topic in Hollywood.

And in the 60 years since, George Eastman House has been celebrated for its elegant architecture and gardens, visiting movie stars and famous photographers, efforts on behalf of the media that it champions, and—never forgotten—for the generous and successful man for whom the Museum is named. Happy Birthday, George Eastman House – literally and virtually the world’s museum of photography and motion pictures.

You May Also Enjoy:

1. George Eastman House Extends Archive into Outer Space After decades of research by museums and archives, it has...
2. HUCKLEBERRY FINN to be seen for the first time in nearly 90 years at the 360 / 365 George Eastman House Film Festival Part One Mark Twain’s “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” is one...
3. Photo world comes out for George Eastman House For more than 60 years George Eastman House — as...
4. Happy Mothers Day from George Eastman House …through a look at vintage Kodak ads from the 40s,...
5. 20 years later … George Eastman House This post first appeared in the Democrat and Chronicle’s Arts...