Summary

Black and white silver gelatin photograph of interior view of the Finishing Run Off Room in Building 2, Emulsion Making, at the Kodak factory, Coburg, November 1958.

The Finishing Run Off Room was on the ground floor of Building 2 and featured a steel reinforced concrete floor, columns and ceiling. It also had solid plaster finished brick walls covered to door height with high gloss tiles. The floor was finished with glazed ceramic tiles and drainage holes. Flush safelight fittings and surface switches were located on the wall with the entrance doorway.

This room was used for 'running off' the emulsion from the Finishing Kettles into stainless steel cans at specified weights per can. The emulsion was then stored in chill rooms for later melting and coating. The purpose of 'Finishing' was to increase the sensitivity of the photographic emulsion to light by adding sensitizing chemicals followed by a very precise heat cycle. Common sensitisers were a variety of sulphur chemicals, often coupled with complex gold compounds. This room normally operated under ultra-clean and safelight conditions.

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

Interior view of room featuring a steel reinforced concrete floor, columns and ceiling. The solid plaster finished brick walls are covered to door height with high gloss tiles. The floor is finished with glazed ceramic tiles and drainage holes. Flush safelight fittings and surface switches are located on the wall with the entrance doorway.

Physical Description

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

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