Untitled (female secretary and two men in office) c. 1950

Curator: This is an intriguing, undated gelatin silver print by Lucian and Mary Brown, currently residing at the Harvard Art Museums, portraying a female secretary and two men in what appears to be an office setting. Editor: The high contrast and stark lighting immediately strike me; it feels like a study in texture and the weight of labor. Look at all the paper, the machinery... Curator: Exactly. The photographic quality speaks volumes about the mid-20th century office culture. We see the hierarchical dynamics reflected in the very composition. Editor: Indeed. Consider the materiality of the typewriter, for instance, and the repetitive motions involved. It speaks of a specific kind of labor power that defined an era. Curator: Absolutely. It is a fascinating look into the gendered roles within the workplace. Editor: It reminds us that even mundane images like these can reveal larger truths about the mechanics of society.