Untitled (electric mixer with attachments) c. 1950

Robert Burian created this Untitled photograph of an electric mixer with attachments. Though we do not know the exact date, the image evokes a mid-20th century domestic scene, a period that saw significant shifts in gender roles and household technology. The mixer, with its gleaming surfaces, embodies the post-war ideal of streamlined efficiency. But consider the cultural expectations of the time: the kitchen was often viewed as a woman’s domain. Here, the electric mixer becomes a symbol of both liberation, easing the physical labor of cooking, and confinement, reinforcing gendered expectations. This image invites us to reflect on the complex, and often contradictory, relationship between women, domesticity, and technology. What does it mean to find oneself both empowered and constrained by the tools of one's time? What unspoken stories does this collection of kitchen implements tell us about identity, labor, and the evolving landscape of the modern home?