Topic: Back in 1958, Kodak did factory tour movies

[Francois]

I found this on another forum

Kodak 1958

It's a factory tour of the Kodak facilities that was done in 1958. Quite impressive.

The film has subtitles in English.

Hope you enjoy as much as I did

I saved myself a copy for fun.

[cmdrray]

I love Industrial Films...this is a good example of what the kids of my generation (1960s) would have been shown in school in my hometown of Akron, Ohio. Not that many years ago, before the internet and Comcast, films like this would be shown on late-night television....Johnny Carson and David Letterman would be done...and all of a sudden...an authoritative voice would say, "Have you ever wondered where paper clips come from??? Let's find out!"  Machines should work...people should think

[Francois]

Actually, the only place where I saw similar films as a kid was on Mr. Rodger's Neighborhood

Now, they have How It's Made on TV but it lacks that 16mm charm...

[Nigel]

That's great Francois thanks for the link, it's a shame the English commentary has been lost.

[Francois]

But I was happy they at least put the subtitles in... otherwise it's not only my English that would have been lost 

(I still wonder in what language the voiceover is )

[Phil Bebbington]

Wonderful film and 1958 was such a good year 

Thank goodness for the subtitles as my Dutch has always been a tad dodgy!

[gothamtomato]

When I was a kid and my family went to Rochester on vacation (to visit friends) we took a tour of the Kodak plant. They gave out plastic take up spools as souveniers. That was long before I was really interested in photography but it was still interesting (and there's nothing else to do in Rochester anyway).

Factoid: For years (I don't know if it's still true) Kodak was the world's biggest employer of blind people, because they could work in complete darkness.

[Phil Bebbington]

Ooooo, I like that fact. I don't care if it's not true. It sounds true that's for sure.

[cpierce]

Thanks, this is a great film.  4 yrs ago these mft lines were all still in-tacked and functioning.  Kodak made there own paper, cellulose.... everything to make film and paper.  The final image of the factory campus was just as I saw it the first week I was as the Rochester campus by the time I left over half that campus was gone, flat ground.  I was there when they tore down the first building every built by George Eastman.  It was sad, I have a brick from that building.  My many months of consulting were both very gratifying but also very sad because of the place the company and the people were in.

The fact that Kodak was such a power house in the film and paper business for so many years they just never could believe anything could compete with their market presence.   They almost went out of business.  The place was like a museum and basically looked like a facility out of the 60's or 70's when I was there 4 yrs ago.  The majority of the people that worked there were employed by Kodak for 25-30yrs many right out of high school or college.   It was an amazing place and I was very lucky to see it before it changed forever.