Birth and Early life
George Eastman was born on July 12, 1854 in Waterville, New York. His father, George W. Eastman, ran a business college in Rochester. The family also owned a farm. His mother Maria Kilbourn stayed home and took care of George and his three older sisters: Ellen Maria Eastman, Emma Kate Eastman, and Meagon Deaton Eastman. Eastman and his family moved to Rochester, New York due to his fathers decreasing health. Eastman's father died of a brain disorder in May 1862, when George was just 7 years old. George's sister Emma Kate had contracted polio when small and died in late 1870, when George was 16 years old. Knowing that his family only had a small amount of money, George dropped out of school and started working and to help his mother. He started his business career as a 14 year old office boy in an insurance company, after that he worked as a clerk for the local bank. George was careful not to waste his money and he only spent it on his hobby: Photography.