Summary

Photograph of the Kodak Australasia black and white photo-finishing and photo-chemicals processing factory in Burnley, circa 1953.

At left is a roller door that was a vehicle entrance to storage at the rear of the site. In the middle of the image, in the single-storey building with a row of windows, was the quality control laboratory that tested product before it was packaged and distributed.

The Burnley building was located at 550-556 Swan Street Burnley and was purchased by Kodak in 1950 as the Abbotsford factory became too cramped. The building was previously the Barnes Honey Factory.

Both Kodak's Black and White Developing & Printing Department and the Powder and Solution Department (later known as the Photochemical Department) operated out of these premises until1974. The Photochemical Department was transferred to the Coburg factory in 1974, while the photo finishing laboratory closed down at this time because a black and white processing and developing service was no longer provided by Kodak after Burnley was vacated.

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

Street view of the exterior of a two storey brick building and a single storey building with delivery entrances. The photograph is angled to reveal two sides of the multi-storey building to the right, a fenced in yard and then the single storey building facade to the left. The street features tram tracks.

Physical Description

Black and white, silver gelatin photograph, printed on medium weight paper, landscape format with a white border.

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