The Golden Days of George Eastman House by Keith Davis

Speakers: Grant Romer, Founding Director, Academy of Archaic Imaging; Keith Davis, former Chief Curator of Photography, The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art; John Rohrbach, Senior Curator of Photographs, The Amon Carter Museum of American Art; and Michelle Delaney, Assistant Director for History and Culture, Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian (moderator) In the 1970s, the field of photographic history and conservation expanded exponentially, and George Eastman House in Rochester, N.Y. was at the center of it. What was it like to be on staff at GEH back then? Former GEH staffers Grant Romer, Keith Davis, and John Rohrbach share their experiences, including their education and training, GEH projects, and research and exhibitions accomplished while working together at the groundbreaking museum. GEH’s impact on the study of the history of photography, photographic conservation, and collecting has been huge. This session also considers what role GEH may play in the future of the field. Presented at the 2021 Daguerreian Symposium on October 16, 2021.