Photography pioneer George Eastman loved to entertain and share his gracious 1905 East Avenue mansion with his beloved Rochester community.

The 35,000-square-foot, 50-room grand American Colonial Revival home certainly has plenty of space for entertaining. During the Christmas holiday season the National Historic Landmark is beautifully decorated with holiday greenery, trees, flowers and wreaths.

The decorations are designed to keep the holiday traditions of Eastman Kodak’s founder alive. During Eastman’s time everything that decorated the house was live and lavish including fresh greens with fruit, nuts and berries.

“Wreaths were placed both inside and outside each window,” said Eastman Legacy Curator Kathy Connor. “Mr. Eastman had a long-needle white pine sent here by rail from his Oak Lodge, North Carolina retreat, where he also spent many holidays.”

The tree in the living room is decorated to represent Eastman’s interests from 1905 until his death in 1932: photography, cars, elephants, music and travel. The dining room table is set for a festive holiday dinner complete with place cards of actual guests.

November and December have become the most popular time for visiting the George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film. Visitors come for the photography exhibitions, house tours, holiday musicales, family films and pancake breakfasts with Santa and St. Nicholas.

Gingerbread creations

A special attraction is “Sweet Creations,” a display of more than 60 imaginatively designed and decorated gingerbread houses. The exhibition is on display through Dec. 17.

Best of all, there is a silent auction for each house and winners will take their house home for the holidays. There are also silent auctions for decorated wreaths and tabletop Christmas trees. The proceeds from the auctions will help support the restoration of Eastman’s Aeolian pipe organ.

This year marks the Eastman House’s 13th annual gingerbread house exhibition and it has become one of the house’s most beloved exhibitions. The houses are not only created by professional bakers, but also individuals, families, scout troops, schools, 4-H groups and group homes. The creativity is quite amazing and the ingredients are all edible.

To add to the fun, visitors are invited to be an honorary George Eastman House detective and pick up a Treasure Hunt clue sheet. Use the clues to find the appropriate creation.

Some of the special gingerbread creations include:

White House Christmas created by the Biltucci family of Pittsford. The family has been contributing to the gingerbread exhibitions for the past 10 years. They began when daughters Lilli and Alana were ages 2 and 8, respectively. Making the house has become a favorite family Christmas activity. Lifesaver candies, licorice, silver dragees, ice cream cones and gumdrops surround the first family’s house.

George Eastman House was created by Allen Callerame of Alcove Unlimited and donated by the DKE fraternity of the University of Rochester. It was made using photographs and scale drawings of the rooms.

The Sydney Opera House was built by the Dieter family of Rochester, first-timers to the Eastman gingerbread world. This scale model of the opera house honors one of the world’s most recognizable buildings.

Cobblestone Church at Christmas Time is the name of an especially inspired church made by the Gruver family of Greece. There are two buttons. Press one and hear Bing Crosby singing “White Christmas.” Press the other and a small light illuminates the stained glass windows.

Little House on the Prairie Cabin was created by the Pedersen family of Macedon. Inspired by Laura Ingalls Wilder’s “Little House” books, this cabin includes straw beds with pillows for the family. The attention to detail is quite amazing. There is Pa’s pipe, fiddle and gun as well as Ma’s and the girls’ bonnets, the family Bible and a fish Pa caught. Outside, look for the snow angels made by the children.

For Joanne is a poignant entry created by Judith Cumming of Fairport in honor of her friend who died in June. It includes Joanne’s favorite things such as a cat, birds and even a gingerbread cup of tea. Joanne had been a long-time participant in “Sweet Creations.”

263 Prinsengracht — The Secret Annex of Anne Frank was made by Timothy J. Cosgriff of Rochester. It honors the Frank family who hid in the house from July 1942 to August 1944. The family was sent to concentration camps and only the father survived. The creator wishes everyone to work for peace and tolerance in the new year.

There are many other entries including a beach house, train, schools, candy lands, a castle, more churches, even a model of an area landfill made by Spencerport Girl Scout Troop 508.

Holiday events

Other popular holiday events include Sunday Holiday

Musicales entertaining visitors the way George Eastman used to do. These include organ concerts in the Conservatory and performances in the living room. They are held 3 to 4 p. m. Sundays through December.

Also on Sundays are Disney classic films shown in the Eastman House Dryden Theatre. Each film is screened at 2 and 7 p. m. with the exception of the Dec. 28 screening at 5 p. m. Upcoming films include “Alice in Wonderland” (Dec. 14) and “Lady and the Tramp” (Dec. 21).

During the Pancake Breakfast with Santa Claus and St. Nicholas, guests are treated to the tale of St. Nicholas by the man himself while they enjoy a breakfast of pancakes and sausages. Breakfast is followed by a visit from Santa Claus who will pose for photos in the living room. The breakfasts are held on Sundays through Dec. 14.

Train fans should not miss three exhibitions entitled “Trains!” They continue through Jan. 25. Headlining the exhibitions, which spans three centuries of train photography, is the best work of O. Winston Link, complemented by train images from the Eastman House collections and a contemporary video installation by British artist Andrew Cross.

“These exhibitions consider the roles of the railroad in photographs. It appears as technological triumph, violator of nature, symbol, myth and nostalgic evocation of a better, nobler past,” said Dr. Alison Nordstrom, Eastman House curator of photographs. “Even if

you have never ridden a train, you know about trains.”

If you go

For more information: Former Buffalo News critic Anthony Bannon is the director of the Eastman House and enjoys extending a special welcome to Buffalo-area visitors. If visiting on a weekday, ask for him at the admissions desk and he will greet you in person whenever he is available.

For information on the Eastman House holiday activities, call (585) 271-3361, Ext. 218 or visit www.eastmanhouse.org. Reservations are required for the pancake breakfasts. Call (585) 271-3361, Ext. 249. Cost is $15 for adults and $12 for children and includes a visit to the house museum.

The museum hours are 10

a. m.-5 p. m. Tuesday through Saturday; 1-5 p. m. Sunday. The house is open until 8 p. m. on Thursdays. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors, $6 for students and $4 for children. Film admission is $7.

Directions

(from Buffalo) Take New York State Thruway to Interstate 490 (Exit 47-Leroy). Take 490 east through downtown Rochester to Exit 17 (Goodman Street). Take a left at the top of the exit. Proceed to the fourth traffic light (East Avenue) and turn right. George Eastman House is a quarter of a mile, on the left side of East Avenue.