Summary

Black and white silver gelatin photograph, view angled down from the roof of Electricity Sub-Station #2 and south along the roadway between Building 7, Testing (left), and Buildings 3, 4 & 5 (Emulsion Coating, Roll Film & Sheet Film respectively) on the right, shows the progress of the buildings under construction, Kodak factory, Coburg, June 1958.

Buildings 4 and 5 were typical of the structural style used in many of the manufacturing buildings throughout the complex. It was single-storey, low profile with encased steel columns and steel trussed roofs. It had brick outer walls allowing large open spaced interiors with air-conditioning and other local services installed in the central ceiling space. This meant that any internal walls and divisions were light weight and non-load-bearing and could easily be altered to match changes to manufacturing requirements.

Building 7 (which appears to be completed externally except for the capping over the brick cavity wall), followed similar construction internally. Its special architectural features created a completely different vista for the public view from Elizabeth Street. A two-storey section (the rear of which is just visible in the image) in the centre of the building, served as a ground floor entrance, with management offices above. An aluminium framed facade on the single-storied eastern face hid the roofline.

Buildings 2 and 3 (Emulsion Making and Coating) were special purpose built three-storey buildings made from steel reinforced concrete and brick, with additional single-storied sections. The centre part of the multi-storey section of Building 3 (to the right in the image) has risen to the second floor where preparations are underway for a concrete pore. An external staircase can be seen rising from the basement to the second level.

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

Image of a streetscape looking south and down on the construction site from the roof of electricity sub-station #2. Two single storey buildings in the background appear to be completed outside, while a building connected to the sub-station is nearing completion. On the right, a steel reinforced concrete structure has been built to the second floor level where several building workers can be seen amongst the scaffolding and concrete formwork. Two steel trussed tower hoists are prominently in view.

Physical Description

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

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