And I bet the top picture was pre air conditioning era, guessing from the sleeveless blouse.

I have a large collection of office pics taken by my dad in the 1940s and 50s. Some of the detail is fascinating. Yes, there were lots of fans in evidence, especially in the 40s. And it's clear from some of the Christmas party photos that no one knew about sexual harassment back then. :-)

The trench coat and hat made me remember when DH was chastised for wearing a light blue shirt to work -- with his dark suit and subdued tie, wing tips, and HAT.

When I was a child, 50's and early 60's, my dad was a CPA in NYC. He wore a suit and hat to work. We moved to northern NY and all sorts of things changed. It was odd to see him go to work in casual clothes.

What a treasure trove of pictures you have Susan. Unfortunately I am a compulsive cleaner upper and couldn't or wouldn't hold on to things that long.

Fran, I'm sure my late husband wished more than once that I'd been a compulsive cleaner upper. LOL

I think even if I were, I'd never part with my father's photos. He was a wonderful photographer, and had excellent cameras at a time when most people didn't. I think his many office photographs have historical value, and lots of people are grateful for the pics he took of their families long ago.

I've been digitizing his work for years, and I'm still at it. :-)

My father was an electrical engineer, mostly working with control systems for industrial machinery. I found a picture of him from an early job at a company named American Laundry, that made industrial-scale washing machines, like a hotel might use.

This even earlier one depicts my grandfather (on the left) and is labeled "Otto in Chef School"

Good pics, Bob--the one of your grandfather is very cool! Was that in Europe? The U.S.? Did he become a chef?

I don't know where the second photo was taken. He did become a chef, and was working in a fancy hotel somewhere of the Gulf Coast of Florida when he met my grandmother, who was working there as a waitress.
The story I was told is that she lied about her age to make herself seem older, and he lied about his age to make himself seem younger, but even with their lied-about ages many people nowadays would find the age difference between them shocking.

This photo shows my father (who was probably high school age) next to his two younger brothers, then his mother then his father.

Gotta love those skinny ties. You'd never believe those two guys were engineering grads...not enough pens in the shirt pockets! Nice family, Bob.