Summary

Black and white silver gelatin photograph, view from the north-east corner of the Main Carpark along Elizabeth Street, and looking south-west towards the factory, Kodak factory, Coburg, late 1959.

This photograph features the as-yet-unsealed Main Carpark filled with employees' vehicles with the factory behind the security fence in the background. A major branch of the services reticulation gantry emanating from the Power House (unsighted to the right of picture) follows high above the side of the internal roadways towards production buildings. The gantry system maintained a rectangular and level disposition throughout the factory accommodating ground level changes with appropriate vertical sections. By 1966, there were more than 3,000 employees at the site and four larger carparks were added to the complex with access from Elizabeth, Ronald and Tilley Streets.

Buildings in view in the background, from left to right: Building 7, Testing, Electricity Sub-station number 2, Building 3, Emulsion Coating, and Building 2, Emulsion Making. At this stage, Building 7 was occupied and providing testing support to the production operations in Building 4, Roll Film, and Building 5, Sheet Film. Buildings 2 and 3 were completed outside, while being fitted out internally. Also, the first stage of Building 11, Power House, and Sub-station number 2, were providing energy services through the gantry system to all of the above production operations.

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

View of a car park with cars in the foreground of the image. Vehicles include Holdens, Austins, Vauxhalls, Zephyrs, Ford Customlines and a Volkswagen Kombi van. Elevated above the car park is a steel framework structure with pipes. Behind the wire fence of the car park, are a series of brick buildings.

Physical Description

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

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