When most people think of silent cinema, the image that arises is a bright, grayscale world of exaggerated expressions and gestures interrupted periodically by dialogue screens. Never having actually seen one of these historical gems, I had no idea that the films were paired with music played live within the theaters, with commentary, and sometimes with traveling showmen. The George Eastman House is seeking to educate us on the rich history of the theater-going experience - and it really was an experience - prior to the home-viewing culture of movies.

The "Film Lost and Found: The Experience of Pre- and Silent Cinema" is a collaborative endeavor between the Humanities Project of the University of Rochester's College of Arts, Sciences and Engineering, the Eastman House, and the Eastman School of Music, with programming that includes lectures, screening events at the Eastman House's Dryden Theatre, and exhibitions of historic objects surrounding silent cinema culture. Screenings include "The Poor Little Rich Girl" (1917), starring Mary Pickford, on Friday, March 19, at 8 p.m. at the Dryden (900 East Ave). Admission is $10-15. A rare tour of the George Eastman House's film archives will be offered at 1 p.m. Sunday, March 21. For a full list of programming and more information, visit rochester.edu, or call the Eastman House at 271-3970.