Search the collections

Where is it from?

A Place & Date Depicted Abbotsford, Australia
A Organisation Depicted Abbotsford, Australia

Photograph - Kodak Australasia Pty Ltd, Exterior View of Kodak Factory from across Yarra River, Abbotsford, Victoria, circa 1930s Reg. No: MM 96549

Photograph - Exterior View of Factory across Yarra River, Kodak, Abbotsford, about 1930s

Summary:: Black and white, silver gelatin, sepia toned photograph of the exterior of the Kodak factory in Abbotsford, Victoria, viewed from across the Yarra River, circa 1930s.

The facilities and buildings in this view highlight the nature of the photographic manufacturing done at this factory. The tank in the foreground close to the river was probably used in the silver nitrate manufacturing process, which dissolved silver in concentrated nitric acid for use in photographic film products. The Power House, with its two chimneys, provided all of the power and refrigeration for the factory. The shorter chimney was the original Power House chimney, which was removed by 1955. The second chimney was probably built in the 1930s. The Paper Coating Building was where photographic paper was coated and photographic emulsions manufactured. The tank on the top of the tower on this building contained distilled water which was used in the manufacturing process. The Glass Plate Building was where glass plates were made. The Number 6, Film Coating Building, was where film products were made - this included the 'finishing' process.

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:: Black and white, silver gelatin photograph with sepia tones, printed on heavy weight paper, landscape format with a white border.
Description Of Content:: The photograph of the factory is viewed from across the Yarra River. It features the Yarra River and trees in the foreground, and the factory in the background across the river. Chimneys and a variety of factory buildings are visible, as well as palm trees and gardens.
Acquisition Information:: Donation from Kodak (Australasia) Pty Ltd, 2005
Acknowledgement:: Courtesy of Kodak (Australasia) Pty Ltd.
Courtesy of Kodak (Australasia) Pty Ltd.

Discipline:	Technology
Dimensions:	160 mm (Height), 260 mm (Width)

More information

Tagged with:	factories, manufacturing plants, papers, power houses, rivers, trees, photography
Themes this item is part of:	Kodak Heritage Collection, Images & Image Making Collection, Working Life & Trades Collection, Baker & Rouse, Baker & Rouse
Primary Classification:	MANUFACTURING & INDUSTRY
Secondary Classification:	Photographic Products
Tertiary Classification:	factory exterior views
Inscriptions:	Back, handwritten, red pen: 'return to Peter Le Get'
Format:	Photograph: Sepia
Place & Date Depicted:	Kodak (Australasia) Pty Ltd, Abbotsford, Victoria, Australia, circa 1930s Former Kodak executives John Mitcham and Ed Wood assisted with dating this photograph. The second chimney, which was thought to have been constructed in the 1930s, is not yet in existence. The original chimney, which was removed by 1955, is still intact.
Organisation Depicted:	Kodak (Australasia) Pty Ltd, Abbotsford, Victoria, Australia, circa 1930s Former Kodak executives John Mitcham and Ed Wood assisted with dating this photograph. The second chimney, which was thought to have been constructed in the 1930s, is not yet in existence. The original chimney, which was removed by 1955, is still intact.