George Eastman’s “Palace”

During my stay in North Tonawanda, I had the honor of touring the George Eastman’s residence. I can give all credits to Mrs. B., who is a history buff & a true educator. What she didn’t know is that I love history (maybe not as expert as she is), therefore this was one of the most fascinating places I ever been to. You can see that I love photography, so this was a perfect lesson to know the history of my hobby.

There were too many places that inspired me to take pictures; sometimes a camera couldn’t capture all the beauties out there.

If you are not aware of George Eastman, he was the founder of Kodak (sounds familiar?), and created the mainstream photography. This “palace”, so I thought, contained so much history about his life – personal failures & successes – and Kodak’s road to the top. Learning about the development of his residence was also interesting, and yet unbelievable with the things he had done to his place…I’m guessing he didn’t know what to do with his millionaire asset.

There was so much to learn from this man, who went every possible obstacles, that never gave up. Yet, he seemed like a lonely winner, or so what I had on my mind for a little bit.

His love for photography & horticulture was noticeable from the first step I walked in. Each of his garden, even to this day, was very much well maintained. Flowers were absolutely gorgeous.

I was speechless by the scale of this architecture & the beauty you could find in every little details. Historical note, his residence is a replica of a mansion in Buffalo, which no longer exists. Supposedly, Eastman loved the way that design looked so he asked the architect to replicate it.

I was also very grateful for the knowledgeable tour guides, both indoor & outdoor. History is always so fascinating & yet hard to comprehend sometimes. You simply have that much more appreciation towards the life you live in. Maybe without Eastman initiative & relentless dedication, I might not have this awesome digital camera to take as many pictures as I want.