Untitled (four women gathered around typewriter in office with one woman on phone) 1960

Curator: This photograph by Martin Schweig, currently held at the Harvard Art Museums, captures four women in an office setting. One is on the phone, surrounded by a typewriter and papers. Editor: The heavy, boxy technology really stands out. The textures and shapes of the machinery give the image a strong sense of material presence, almost industrial. Curator: Absolutely. The photograph likely depicts the shift in labor roles for women. The image documents their increasing presence in office environments, reflecting broader socio-economic changes. Editor: And what kind of labor? We see them interacting with this technology. The labor behind the typewriter and telephone feels very specific, bound to those tools. Curator: It raises questions about access to technology, the division of labor, and the evolving roles of women in shaping the modern workforce. Editor: It is a very straightforward photo, really. But even the absence of color adds to its texture. It feels like the past, in the present.