work

The typewriter, which in German-speaking countries often bore women’s names as a model designation, was not only a technical advance, but also increasingly brought women into companies as employees. Described pejoratively as a “typist”, it also has erotic connotations. This is because secretaries joined companies as unmarried women, but after marriage their focus had to be on the family. While the male secretary was previously regarded as a strategic partner, secret keeper and mediator for the company management, feminization has also led to a change in the job description. The female secretary implements the decisions of her superiors, but does not make any important decisions herself.

The typewriter supported her in the realization of this work, as women were not considered to have intellectual and creative abilities. The work allows the typewriters of three generations of the electric “Gabriele” model series to speak as representatives of a seemingly bygone era. In order to draw a reference to the workrooms of the professional group, in which the volume of a typewriter multiplied to unbearable levels due to the fast typing speed required, the machine-gun-like sound of a typewriter running through can be heard at regular intervals via a loudspeaker hidden in the base.

Although they have fallen out of time, the typewriters continue to function, as many paradigms from this period still have an impact on working life today.

Material
Typewriter “Gabriele”, various models, paper roll