Summary
Black and white glass plate negative of the exterior of the Kodak Australasia factory in Abbotsford, Victoria, circa 1930s. It has strips of perforated white tape applied as a mask, indicating the position of a print.
The photograph features a garden setting with garden beds, trees, lawn, wooden benches and a curving path to the right. Beyond the trees, a watertower is visible. This garden area was close to the canteen, where staff took their breaks. By 1948, this garden area had been built over with the Glass Plate Building. The tank visible on the top of the tower contained distilled water which was used in manufacturing in the Paper Coating Building below, where photographic paper was coated and photographic emulsions were manufactured.
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
A garden setting with garden beds, trees, lawn, wooden benches and a curving path to the right, creating a circular lawn to the left, in the centre of which is a small tree. Beyond the trees, a watertower is visible.
Physical Description
Black and white silver gelatin glass negative, full plate, landscape format. 2 strips of perforated white tape have been applied to the non-emulsion side.
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
Kodak (Australasia) Pty Ltd, Abbotsford, Greater Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, circa 1930s
Ed Woods and John Mitcham, ex-Kodak executives, suggest that the new building was constructed over the garden earlier than 1948, and definitely by 1955. The chimney was thought to have been built in the 1930s. -
Organisation Depicted
Kodak (Australasia) Pty Ltd, Abbotsford, Greater Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, circa 1930s
Ed Woods and John Mitcham, ex-Kodak executives, suggest that the new building was constructed over this garden earlier than 1948 and definitely by 1955. The chimney was thought to have been built in the 1930s. -
Format
Glass Negative, Whole Plate, Black & White
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Classification
Manufacturing & industry, Photographic products, Factory exterior views
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Category
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Discipline
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Type of item
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Image Dimensions - Negative/s
215 mm (Width), 165 mm (Height)
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Keywords
Chimneys, Factories, Fences, Gardens, Manufacturing Plants, Photography, Staff, Trees