Summary
Colour photograph of guests and Kodak staff at the reception at the official opening of the Kodak factory complex at Coburg, 14 April 1961.
Standing to the right and looking directly at the camera and wearing glasses is Merek Erben.
Construction of the Kodak factory complex in Coburg began in 1957 on 23 hectares of former farmland. Since 1908, Kodak had been operating from the factory in Abbotsford and had gradually outgrown the premises. The Abbotsford factory remained operational while the Coburg plant was being built until it closed in1966. Architect Harry Norris of H A & F L Norris & Associates, created the design for the new factory and individual buildings for the manufacture of silver halide photographic products. The building contract was awarded to Lewis Constructions Pty Ltd. The still uncompleted complex was officially opened on 14 April 1961 by the Prime Minister, Robert G. Menzies with Dr. A Chapman, President of Eastman Kodak Company, in attendance. The complex was the national headquarters of Kodak Australasia Pty Ltd.
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, when the Melbourne manufacturing plant at Coburg closed down.
Description of Content
Photograph of a group of people at a reception. Two men are featured facing the camera directly in the foreground. To the left, a man wearing a suit and holding a drink, is turned side on to the camera. The man to the right is wearing glasses and is eating a canape and holding a drink and is pictured front on to the camera. To his left is a waitress wearing a white shirt and black bow tie. In the background is a group of guests.
Physical Description
Colour photograph, printed on medium weight paper with a white border, landscape format.
More Information
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Collection Names
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Collecting Areas
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Acquisition Information
Donation from Kodak (Australasia) Pty Ltd, Ms. Kate Metcalf - Kodak (Australasia) Pty Ltd, 2005
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Acknowledgement
Courtesy of Kodak (Australasia) Pty Ltd.
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Place & Date Depicted
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Organisation Depicted
Kodak (Australasia) Pty Ltd, Coburg, Greater Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, Apr 1961
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Person Depicted
Mr Merek Erben - Kodak (Australasia) Pty. Ltd., Coburg, Greater Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, Apr 1961
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Individuals Identified
Erben, Merek
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Format
Photograph, Colour
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Inscriptions
Back, stamp: 'A 689'
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Classification
Manufacturing & industry, Photographic products, Opening events
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Category
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Discipline
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Type of item
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Image Dimensions - Photograph
130 mm (Width), 90 mm (Height)
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References
Beale, N, The History of Kodak in Australia, Coburg, no date. [Link 1] "A Brief Process Based Site History, Kodak (Australasia) Pty Ltd, Coburg Plant" Kodak (Australasia) Pty Ltd, 2007 Pamphlet, "Milestones in the History of Kodak (Australasia) Pty. Ltd", Kodak (Australasia) Pty. Ltd., 1985 Leggio, Angeletta "A History of Australia's Kodak Manufacturing Plant", Topics in Photographic Preservation, Volume Twelve, 2007
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Keywords
Factories, Functions, Manufacturing Plants, Photography, Receptions, Making History - Kodak Collection