The Office

As many of us question the necessity of working from an office, this photographic series – taken in the days before wifi and iPhones – is a poignant reminder of how things once were. Teetering stacks of paper, off-kilter filing cabinets, gum-white computer monitors and the cold glow of the Xerox machine; what were once essential tools now stand as whimsical relics to a former life. The office holds bittersweet memories of kitchen small talk, cheap coffee, awkward Christmas parties and promotions won or lost. Capturing this corporate world with a tender yet satirical eye, American photographer Steven Ahlgren’s nostalgic series will resonate with anyone who has ever loved, hated or simply endured office life.

Steven Ahlgren’s photographs have been exhibited in museums and galleries in the US and abroad and published in many magazines including The New York Times. He currently lives in Media, Pennsylvania.