Friday, June 8, 2007

The Kodak Pavilion

The Kodak pavilion at Expo 67 was a white concrete 1 storey building. The structure had a flat roof that was supported by graceful wooden beams. Behind the pavilion, a flower-filled garden stretched down to one of Ile Notre Dame's canals. Images of the countries in which Kodak was active adorned the pavilion's facade.

The pavilion was divided into 3 areas: a photographic exhibit, a 100-seat theatre, and a photo information centre:

The photographic exhibit area showed aerial shots of familiar Canadian landscapes: Niagara Falls, the western plains, the Rockies, as well as industrial centres.

The first 5 minutes of the pavilion's theatre presentation instructed the visitor on the role of photography in medecine, health, leisure, science and education. Then, these themes were explored in a presentation using 12 projectors called Wonders of Photography. During the last 3 minutes, a fine spray of tiny droplets replaced the conventional screen, giving a stunning 3-dimensional illusion to the images.

In the photo information centre, multilingual experts advised visitors on how to get the best family pictures at Expo 67. Booklets containing a list of suggested shots and hints on taking photos at night were given out. One suggested spot was a tower in Notre-Dame Park, built by Kodak and British American Oil, which provided breathtaking views of Expo 67's skyline, Montreal and ships in the St. Lawrence Seaway. The information centre could also be reached by phone, and it received up to 2500 calls a day.




images: (1) library and archives Canada

(2-3) personal collection
(4) expo67.ncf.ca

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