Summary

Black & white negative of the exterior of Swallow & Ariell biscuit factory on the east side of Princes Street, Port Melbourne, off Beach Street corner. A row of Swallow's delivery vans are parked in the street. The Swallow & Ariell Steam Biscuit Manufactory was first established by Thomas Swallow in 1854 [the date can be seen on the apex of the facade]. The company was taken over by Arnott Brockoff Guest Pty. Ltd. in 1964. Until then it was the oldest and largest biscuit manufacturing complex in Victoria.

One of approximately 85,000 negatives from the Laurie Richards Collection taken by the Melbourne based Laurie Richards Studio between the 1950s -1970s.

Laurie Richards was a professional photographer who began his career as a photo-journalist, working for the Advertiser newspaper in Adelaide, and the Argus and the Herald newspapers in Melbourne. In 1953, he opened his own business and set up a photographic studio at his home at 4 Tower Avenue, Alphington, an inner suburb of Melbourne. At its peak, in the late 1960s, the Laurie Richards Studio was one of Melbourne's pre-eminent commercial photographic studios, employing twelve photographers. The Laurie Richards Studio worked mainly in advertising and public relations, and had a broad clientele which included commercial companies, government institutions and the entertainment industry.

Description of Content

Exterior view of the Swallow & Ariell factory showing a row of Ford delivery vans parked in the street in the foreground.

Physical Description

Black and white cellulose acetate negative.

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