Summary

Photograph recording the visit of a mock model tank to the Kodak Australasia Limited factory in Abbotsford as part of Tank Week, a promotional event for the sale of bonds for the 6th War Loan during World War I.

The photograph was taken outside the main Kodak office on Southampton Crescent in Abbotsford and shows Kodak staff with the tank and cannon. Managing Director Thomas Baker appears to be one of the people looking out of the tank side window.

This image was reproduced in Punch magazine on Thursday 11th April 1918, noting that Kodak staff had subscribed to £2100 worth of war bonds. The 6th War Loan was initiated in February 1918, and a special marketing event called Tank Week was held April 3-10 1918, with mock model tanks travelling around Sydney and Melbourne to attract bond subscriptions.

Senior Kodak staffer Bill McCoy is on top of tank, at left and Kodak executive thought to be Fred Shaw is on the tank to Bill's right. Also pictured are other Kodak employees, Reeta Beezley, Jack and Bert Lewis.

The photograph was reportedly taken by senior Kodak staff member Jonathon Monteith. Jonathon's son Noel, who also worked at Kodak for many decades, remembered that his father had added in the plane in the top right corner while printing the photograph.

Description of Content

Model tank and cannon, the latter with flag and large boomerang shaped sign at the left hand end, in front of a large multi-storey brick building with a crowd of men, women and children in front and to the side. Two men are sitting on top of the tank and several are sitting on the cannon, while two men's faces are peeking out from a window in the side of the tank. An airplane is visible in the top right of the image in the sky, and a large industrial chimney is at right also. A sign on the building reads 'Kodak Australasia Limited'.

Physical Description

Black and white sepia toned photograph printed on paper with white border.

More Information

  • Collection Names

    Kodak Heritage Collection

  • Collecting Areas

    Images & Image Making

  • Acquisition Information

    Donation from Kodak (Australasia) Pty Ltd, Ms. Kate Metcalf - Kodak (Australasia) Pty Ltd, 2005

  • Acknowledgement

    Courtesy of Kodak (Australasia) Pty Ltd.

  • Place & Date Created

    Southampton Crescent, Abbotsford, Greater Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3-10 April 1918
    A note with this photograph and one with identical photograph MM 98573 estimated the photograph was taken in about 1916-1917, however from further research it seems clear that the date of the photograph is actually between 3-10 April 1918. This particular image was published in Punch magazine on Thursday 11 April 1918, page 25. Further research suggests this photograph date fell within Tank Week, a promotion for the 6th War Bonds Appeal, which ran from 3-10 April 2018. For further information see: Before Sunset - The Bank & WW1, Exhibition text, Museum of Australian Currency Notes, Reserve Bank of Australia; and War Loan Bonds in Australia - 1915-1921, David Waller, Journal of Nonprofit & Public Sector Marketing, June 1995

  • Organisation Depicted

    Kodak (Australasia) Limited, Southampton Crescent, Abbotsford, Greater Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, April 1918 - August 1919

  • Photographer

    Mr Jonathan Monteith, Southampton Crescent, Abbotsford, Greater Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3 April 1918 - 10 April 1918
    A note with this photograph suggested that this image was taken by long-time senior Kodak employee, Jonathon Monteith. Jonathon's son Noel, who also worked for Kodak for several decades, confirmed this in an oral history conversation with Senior Curator Fiona Kinsey in 2014.

  • Individuals Identified

    Baker, Thomas; McCoy, William (Bill); Beezley, Rita; Lewis, Jack; Lewis, Bert

  • Format

    Photograph, Black & White

  • Inscriptions

    Came with a note reading: 'Taken start of World War I / Bill McCoy on top of tank / Reeta Beezely & my Uncles Jack & Bert / Lewis are there. / Take by Jonathon Monteith approx 1917 in / South Hampton Cres Abbotsford outside Kodak's / main office.'

  • Classification

    Manufacturing & industry, Photographic products, Factory exterior views

  • Category

    History & Technology

  • Discipline

    Technology

  • Type of item

    Image

  • Image Dimensions - Photograph

    316 mm (Width), 236 mm (Height)

  • References

    For further information see: Before Sunset - The Bank & WW1, Exhibition text, Museum of Australian Currency Notes, Reserve Bank of Australia; and War Loan Bonds in Australia - 1915-1921, David Waller, Journal of Nonprofit & Public Sector Marketing, June 1995

  • Keywords

    Wars & Conflicts, World War I, 1914-1918, War Bonds, Tanks, Cannons, Marketing, Promotions, Factories, Staff, Employees, Workers, Banking