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© Transport for London
Collection of London Transport Museum
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Ealing Common Depot serving the District Railway. View of the office staff featuring a Miss Armstrong, who was the first typist at the depot.

Unknown photographer, 1905

Image no: Ukn

Inventory no: 2003/8708

20th Century London caption: The use of typewriters in offices was rare until the 1880s. This photo from 1905 shows Miss Armstrong, in the left foreground, the first typist to be employed in this office. Miss Armstrong worked for the District Railway at the Ealing Common depot. The name of the other young woman typist on the far right of the shot has not been recorded. However she was probably also a 'Miss', since it was rare at the time for married women to have jobs outside the home. There is also a young boy working a printing press in the background. He looks about 14 or 15. At the start of the 20th century, it was common for children to finish their secondary education at 14, or even younger, to start work.

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