Summary

Black and white silver gelatin photograph, section of the north face of Building 15, Cameras, Reels & Sundries, Kodak factory, Coburg, circa 1960.

This view of the north face of Building 15 features the natural steep sloping land with rocky outcrops to the Edgars Creek boundary. This slope allowed for entries to the building at two levels: a road level entry at the west end to a basement for the delivery and storage of raw materials, and a loading dock off Biggs Road at the south-east end ground floor level for outgoing finished goods. The main entrance to the building was located in the middle of the south side with a few steps up from Biggs Road. At this stage the building appears to be completed externally and was being fitted out internally readying for the move of operations from Abbotsford.

Cameras, Reels and Sundries department produced a large range of products, from consumer type cameras, roll-film spools, movie reels, 135 magazines, 126 cartridges, super-8 cartridges, aero spools, compartment file boxes, X-ray hangers, silver recovery units to slide-film readymounts. Parts produced for local camera assembly were mainly from metal stamping and forming operations, but with the advent of the Instamatic range the work load shifted towards plastic injection moulding. Both metal and plastic parts production required accurate machinery and tooling and the qualified engineering staff needed to support them including engineers, toolmakers and fitters.

Kodak manufactured and distributed a wide range of photographic products to Australasia, such as, film, paper, chemicals, cameras and miscellaneous equipment. Its client base included amateur and professional photographers as well as specialist medical and graphic art professionals who used photography, x-ray and other imaging techniques.

This photograph is part of the Kodak collection of products, promotional materials, photographs and working life artefacts collected from Kodak Australasia in 2005 after the manufacturing plant at Coburg had closed down the year before.

Description of Content

Building elevation, featuring two-stories. To the left is a sloped area of land with a ladder. A man is standing behind a truck, holding a piece of timber. A door in the upper storey is open. The building features aluminium cladding, brick work and rows of windows.

Physical Description

Black and white silver gelatin photograph printed on light weight paper, landscape format.

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