On the Job -Design and the American Office

American work spaces have gone through remarkable and extensive changes since 1900, thanks to the forces of technology, real estate, and finance, as well as evolving ideas on office organization and management. Innovations as commonplace as air conditioning and fluorescent lighting have had a profound impact, as have more recent phenomena such as virtual offices and telecommuting. On the Job: Design and the American Office presents office design throughout the 20th century through full-color contemporary and period photos, advertisements, and product manuals. Topics include the representation of the office in popular culture, the evolution of the workstation and its emphasis on ergonomics and productivity, office design as a reflection of corporate culture from Larkin to Chiat/Day, and office architecture as a mirror of current business models. Informative writing by Stanley Abercrombie, Thomas Hine, Phil Patton, and James S. Russell complements the illustrations.

Chrysanthe B. Broikos is an associate curator at the National Building Museum. Designer J. Abbott Miller of Pentagram also designed The ABC's of Bauhaus and The Bathroom, The Kitchen, and the Aesthetics of Waste.

Donald Albrecht is the Cooper Hewitt's Curator for Special Projects.