Untitled (classroom with a typewriter on each desk) c. 1950

Robert Burian’s photograph, titled *Untitled (classroom with a typewriter on each desk)* captures a classroom scene, immortalized in monochrome and printed on 5x7 inch paper. The image suggests a moment frozen in time, a room full of potential, but absent of the energy of young minds. Rows of desks are neatly arranged, each equipped with a typewriter, evoking a sense of uniformity and the promise of standardized education. Consider the position of women in the workplace, and the role of the typewriter in facilitating their entry into office jobs, thus transforming gender dynamics and labor practices. The black and white image suggests that the past wasn’t so clear. The absence of people invites us to reflect on the systems of education and labor that shape individual destinies. What stories could be told through the keys of those typewriters? This piece serves as a poignant reflection on the evolving landscape of education, and gendered labor.