Lisa Kribs-LaPierre's Posts

George Eastman loved orchestral organ music and used it often for entertainment with others. In 1905 he hired the Aeolian Organ Company out of NYC to install what was named the “South Organ”. Then in 1918 he added what we now call the “North Organ” chamber. Throughout the 26 years George Eastman lived in the house the organ continued to expand – adding additional pipes and chambers and eventually creating what was likely the first “in stereo” experience in a private residence.

Several years later, after the house was established as a museum, there was an unfortunate fire that destroyed many of the organ pipes. Since the fire, there had been little interest in restoring the missing organ chamber. That all changed last year when a gentlemen in California (after many conversations) graciously donated his Aeolian 1345 organ to George Eastman House. The donor even covered the cost to ship the instrument across the country and cover final restoration costs (est. six figure donation).

This particular pipe organ is extremely similar to the original. When the project is complete, approximately 2,329 pipes (that’s right, 2,329) will have been installed. Visitors will again be able to hear what George Eastman heard many years ago- an organ that plays like an entire orchestra.

We’re documenting the project and will continue to add to this album throughout. Take a look at some of the large metal and wooden pipes delivered last week. These will continue to be installed over the next few weeks – then the testing and tuning will begin.

via guest contributor, Chris Holmquist
Photographic Process Research Apprentice

The Philadelphia Photographic Exchange Club 19th century canal excursion, lantern slide from the Scully & Osterman archives

In a few weeks, George Eastman House Process Historian, Mark Osterman and team will lead a photography workshop unlike any other; a tintype excursion along the historic Erie Canal.

For three days we will float down the waterway in an authentic canal boat; navigating the step locks, staying overnight in a bed & breakfast and most importantly, stopping along the way to make authentic large-format tintypes on location, using a portable darkroom.

This excursion is modeled after similar trips that took place in the 1860’s by members of the Philadelphia Photograph Exchange Club. Groups like this consisted mostly of  ‘gentleman scholars’; men with the benefit of free time, the resources needed to pursue such an involved hobby and an aptitude to make legitimate contributions to an ever evolving science. Outings like a canal trip were an excellent opportunity for amateur photographers to share their techniques, enjoy the surroundings and generally celebrate the wonderful process of making images in a camera.

The Philadelphia Photographic Exchange Club

In that period it was “mule teams”on shore that pulled the canal boats along, and although we will be taking advantage of the internal combustion engine, it’s in the same spirit that we set out to explore the Erie Canal in the first week of June. It’s a rare treat to learn the wet collodion technique from one of the world’s leading authorities, while also getting a chance to forget the modern world for a few days and relive a piece of photography’s past.

UPDATE: The workshop sold out over the weekend, but if interested, please take a look at the rest of our workshops through 2013.

If this sounds like a fantastic opportunity, you’ll be pleased to hear that there’s one open spot remaining in our roster! 

I decided to take a little stroll through the Dryden Theatre to see if there were any interesting seat labels from our current Take a Seat campaign (more here) – and I was in luck. Take a look at a few of my faves – the rest you’ll have to come in and see for yourself.

See you at the movies!

More about the Dryden Theatre’s recent renovation here.

The Joel Hodgson (MST3K) is coming to town this Saturday May 4 at 8 p.m., to entertain with his brand new one-man show (Riffling Myself). We are looking forward to Hodgson diving into the stories of his B-movie insanity (think ventriloquist dummies and how MST3K took off.)

We’re giving a pair of tickets to this evening – one you won’t want to miss. Follow these two steps now, fast as you can!

1. Share this event on Facebook or Twitter. One or the other.

Share on Twitter

Share on Facebook

2. Then, leave us a comment identifying which three episodes are captured in the stills below (you must get all three right!)

 
*comment entries will be hidden until winner announced

Contest starts today – we’ll pick a winner and announce Wednesday April 30, at 12:00 p.m. EST.

Or take no chances and buy tickets today.
 

As part of Silver and Water, currently on view in the museum’s South and Brackett Clark galleries, an 8-foot by 12-foot negative of Kodak’s chemical factory was soaked in a shallow bath of water, the silver image slowly decaying.

8×12 negative

Silver and Water artists Lauren Bon and the Optics Division of the Metabolic Studio are returning to Eastman House to create a public darkroom performance with the negative. The South Gallery is in process of being converted into a darkened space, and, with audience participation, a giant contact print of the decayed image will be created.

working on the transition this week

Wednesday, May 8 at 6:00 p.m.
The event is included with museum admission, if you’re in town we hope to see you there!