Rochester, NY—The George Eastman Museum has appointed a new curator of the George Eastman Collection. Historian and curator Michelle Finn, PhD, is now responsible for George Eastman’s 35,000‑square-foot mansion, its contents as well as archival materials comprising more than 200,000 items. Finn will start in the position on April 15.
“The Eastman Museum is committed to developing and presenting contemporary interpretations of George Eastman that are broadly relevant in our diverse community,” said Bruce Barnes, PhD, Ron and Donna Fielding director, George Eastman Museum. “Michelle Finn’s experience in interpreting social, cultural, and political history will make a crucial contribution to this effort. She has curated several exhibitions about various previously underexplored aspects of Rochester’s history—with contemporary relevance in mind. ”
Curator of George Eastman Collection Named
Finn is currently the senior historical researcher at the Central Library of Rochester & Monroe County’s Local History & Genealogy Division. In addition, she has served as the deputy historian for the City of Rochester since 2012. Furthermore, between 2008 and 2016, Finn developed and taught undergraduate courses at the University of Rochester, State University of New York at Geneseo, and Monroe Community College. What’s more, from 2013 to 2022, she curated seven exhibitions at the Rundel Memorial Library Building in Rochester. They included Everyday People: The Dinkle Family, Rochester’s African American Past as well as Because of Women Like Her . . . Winning the Vote in New York State.
“I look forward to making connections between George Eastman and the present in ways that are meaningful to a wide range of audiences,” commented Finn. “With more than a decade of experience in handling and interpreting the Rochester Public Library’s historical collections, I have introduced diverse audiences to these materials and helped people to explore them and appreciate their current significance.”
Additionally, Finn received a doctorate in American history from the University of Rochester. She also graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science, magna cum laude, from the University of Pennsylvania.
“I am enthusiastic that Michelle Finn will be my successor in stewarding and curating our National Historic Landmark and our collection and archive related to George Eastman,” added Kathy Connor, the retiring George Eastman legacy curator. Connor held that position since 1990 and worked at the museum for 42 years. “Finn’s background in archives and collection management will assure preservation of our original artifacts. And her experience in making research materials accessible will advance our ability to make our important holdings available onsite as well as online.”
George Eastman Museum
Founded in 1947, the George Eastman Museum is the world’s oldest photography museum and one of the largest film archives in the United States. It is located on the historic Rochester estate of entrepreneur and philanthropist George Eastman, the pioneer of popular photography. Moreover, its holdings comprise more than 400,000 photographs, 41,000 motion picture films, as well as the world’s preeminent collection of photographic and cinematographic technology. It is also one of the leading libraries of books related to photography and cinema. 
Additionally, it has extensive holdings of documents and other objects related to George Eastman. Further, as a research and teaching institution, the museum has an active publishing program. Its L. Jeffrey Selznick School of Film Preservation’s graduate program (a collaboration with the University of Rochester) also makes critical contributions to film preservation.
