NEWSLETTER
Works by Diane Arbus, Carl Chiarenza, Zig Jackson, Tseng Kwong Chi, Stanley Wolukau-Wanambwa, and others strengthen the museum’s holdings
Rochester, N.Y. (April 21, 2026) — The George Eastman Museum’s Department of Photography has acquired over 900 works through purchase and gift in 2025. As one of the oldest photography collections in the world, the museum continually adds to its holdings, which include objects pre-dating the introduction of the medium in 1839 through to the present day. The collection encompasses works made in all major photographic processes, from daguerreotype to digital, and for a wide range of purposes, including amateur pursuit, artistic enterprise, scientific inquiry, and documentary record.
“Through carefully considered additions to our holdings, we seek to expand the possibilities for understanding the photographic medium, making it accessible to our colleagues and the general public alike,” said Jamie M. Allen, Stephen B. and Janice G. Ashley Curator and Head, Department of Photography. “While we continue to build our holdings of nineteenth- and twentieth-century photography, which serve as the foundations of our collection, we also seek to document twenty-first-century uses of photography, from photojournalism to contemporary art. In 2025 we had amazing opportunities to add significant works from all periods of the medium’s history, filling gaps and bolstering our ability to tell expansive stories.”
Like every collection, the museum’s significant holdings have gaps that can be filled. In some cases, photographic processes create such unique objects that the museum adds additional examples. Two ivorytypes were given to the collection by long-time supporter of the museum Donald K. Weber . Originating in the 1850s, the ivorytype was a labor-intensive process in which two salted paper prints from the same negative were hand-colored, waxed, and layered to create an effect of striking dimensionality. Several photographers invented variations of this process, many of which are showcased in our holdings.
As the museum seeks to continue to bolster its holdings and fill gaps within its collection, it accepted a donation of eighteen Diane Arbus photographs from the Fraenkel Gallery,
San Francisco , and also purchased a significant work by Tseng Kwong Chi . The museum also considers the local and international importance of photographers who directly impacted the museum and its history. This year the museum added significant holdings by Beaumont Newhall and Nathan Lyons , all of whom impacted the institution as staff.
Another initiative the photography department has emphasized in recent years is to acquire work from recent or upcoming exhibitions. Significant acquisitions from three 2025 exhibitions showcase the museum’s commitment to contemporary art photography, including major acquisitions of works by Liz Deschenes , Stanley Wolukau-Wanambwa , and Zig Jackson .
Visitors to the museum in 2026 will have the opportunity to see four newly added photographs by Wayne Miller in Edward Steichen and the Garden . These photographs help to illustrate Steichen in his daily life as he enjoyed and cared for his gardens. Several new acquisitions will be featured in an upcoming Selections from the Collection , including works by Brett Weston , Milton Rogovin , and Carl Chiarenza .
Beyond the museum's growing collection of art photography, it equally seeks to build on the collection’s strengths across photography's many amateur and professional applications. Recent acquisitions include snapshots by Nicola Toscano that document family life in 1950s Italy. The collection also added a fashion photograph by Daiho Yoshida , which showcases the stunning East meets West fusion that made his work innovative. Finally, press prints by Horst Faas from the Vietnam era, as well as contemporary reportage by Bing Guan and Mark Peterson , and motion studies of dance and sports by Philip Trager and Philip Leonian add depth to the museum’s holdings.
Explore the 2025 acquisitions online here .
About the 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. Its holdings comprise more than 450,000 photographs, 31,000 motion picture films, the world’s preeminent collection of photographic and cinematographic technology, one of the leading libraries of books and archival materials related to photography and cinema, and extensive holdings of documents and other objects related to George Eastman. The museum is located on the historic Rochester estate of entrepreneur and philanthropist George Eastman, the pioneer of popular photography. As a research and teaching institution, the Eastman Museum has an active publishing program, and its L. Jeffrey Selznick School of Film Preservation’s graduate program (a collaboration with the University of Rochester) makes critical contributions to film preservation. The George Eastman Museum is supported with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. For more information, visit eastman.org .
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ATTN. Media: High-resolution images of select 2025 acquisitions can be downloaded here .