Summary

Book featuring an address by Dr Charles Edward Kenneth Mees about his life's work in photographic research and his career with the Kodak Research Laboratory at the Eastman Kodak Company. The address was given on 9 November 1955, and the book was published in 1956. The book was sub-titled 'Myself and my Journey Down the River of Time'.

The address that was reproduced in this book was given by Dr C. E. Mees around the time he retired, after spending 44 years working in the Research Laboratories at Eastman Kodak Company, in Rochester. Dr Mees had an illustrious career. He was responsible for many important chemical and technical advances in photographic manufacturing, was widely published and was a renowned expert in photographic chemistry and industrial research.

Dr Charles Edward Kenneth Mees was born in Britain on May 26,1882. His passion for industrial chemistry began when he was a boy, and he later completed his PhD in the methods of photographic sensitometry at University College, London. Afterwards, he worked at the photographic firm Wratten and Wainwright, where he was invited to join the company as co-managing director.

Quickly becoming an industrial research expert, in 1912 Dr Mees was invited by Mr. Eastman to set up and direct a research laboratory for the Eastman Kodak Company, in Rochester, USA. Two of Dr Mees' best achievements with the company were the introduction of the Cine-Kodak apparatus (1923) and Kodachrome color film. In 1923, Mees was appointed director of the company and in 1934 he became vice president in charge of research and development. In 1956 he retired. Mees died on August 15,1960, just a few years after he gave this address and this book was published. Dr Mees received many accolades from his peers, including being elected as a Fellow in the Royal Society in 1939, made a Fellow of University College, London in 1950, and also being elected a member of the National Academy of Sciences in the United States of America.

Part of a collection of research material and artefacts assembled by former Kodak Australasia employee Nigel Beale while he was writting Kodak's company history in the 1980s.

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 item is related to 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.

Physical Description

50 page book, bound in green cloth. Colour features Dr Mees' signature printed in red on bottom right corner. Colour plate of Dr Mees, with his signature reproduced, appears on the 4th page from the front cover (but before the numbering begins). The edges of the pages are all 'hand-torn'. There are 39 numbered pages of text, as well as the title page, publishing information page and the colour plate.

Significance

This item enhances our understanding of photographic research, manufacturing and retailing in Australia, and specifically traces the history of Kodak and its research laboratories.

More Information