15 Older Photos Showing That Office Culture Has Always Been Weird
Office culture has always been a little strange. Apparently, spending eight hours a day with the same people inspires some questionable decisions, like filling a coworker’s cubicle with snacks, covering an entire desk in aluminum foil, or turning someone’s workspace into a bathroom. And workplace weirdness doesn’t always involve pranks. There are office cats claiming typewriters, questionable decorating choices, unusual retirement gifts, and coworkers taking holiday celebrations very seriously. Some of these photos are decades old, but the situations feel surprisingly familiar. The furniture might look different, and the dress codes have certainly changed, but office workers have always found ways to make things interesting. Here are 15 older photos showing just how weird office culture can get.
The Office Cat Had Its Own Typewriter
An IBM Selectric typewriter shares desk space with a cat in a 1970s Melbourne office, where the furry coworker seems perfectly comfortable.
Someone Wrapped the Entire Office in Foil
An office prank from 2006 involved covering a desk, chair, partition, and practically everything else in aluminum foil, including items nobody would reasonably bother wrapping.
The Typing Department Was a Whole Room
An office at New Zealand Railways headquarters in 1959 is filled with typists working at their machines, each producing documents without a computer in sight.
Christmas Came With a Prank
An employee returned to a workplace surprise arranged by coworkers before Christmas, inspired by Jim and Dwight’s antics on The Office.
The Office Decor Had No Chill
A 1970s office features bold red furniture, matching carpeting, and an arrangement of desks and chairs that looks straight out of a retro furniture catalog.
The Birthday Surprise Involved Popcorn
A 2006 workplace prank shows someone preparing to trap a pile of popcorn behind a door, ready to spill when the unsuspecting birthday guest opens it.
Halloween Decorations Got Personal
An office desk was covered in Halloween decorations during a 2006 prank, with coworkers apparently putting considerable effort into decorating someone else’s workspace.
A Very Strange Message Board Conversation
An office notice covered in sticky notes shows employees exchanging messages about thumbtacks, documenting the kind of small workplace disagreement that somehow becomes everyone’s business.
A Retirement Gift With Survival Instructions
White House Press Secretary Pierre Salinger received a retirement-themed survival kit from his colleagues in 1963, complete with a bottle of alcohol among the gifts.
The Office Christmas Party Had Live Entertainment
A singer and organist perform at the Seattle Engineering Department’s 1959 Christmas celebration, with the entertainment taking place right at work.
The Office Sign Had a Fake Celebrity Sponsor
Someone at Stanford University put up a fake sign naming a research room after Hugh Hefner, complete with a joke about silicone instead of silicon.
The Cubicle Became a Bathroom
After returning from vacation, an employee discovered that coworkers had transformed their entire office cubicle into a bathroom, complete with a toilet and shower curtain.
The Office Was Full of Twinkies
Coworkers packed an entire office cubicle with Twinkies, stacking the snack cakes around the workspace and even across its entrance.
Some Balloons Had a Nasty Surprise
Coworkers filled an employee’s workspace with balloons after he complained that their office pranks were getting weak, hiding glitter inside two of them.
The Office Had a Boxing Obsession
A woman works at her desk in a 1971 office, surrounded by boxing posters advertising different fights, including the famous Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier matchup.