20 Photos of Holiday Parties Before HR Was Invented

Author image for Laurent Shinar
Laurent Shinar • Writer and Editor
Jul 9, 2025 11:00 AM EDT

To think that the debauchery of the office is actually a piece of not so distant history is rather wild. Especially when compared to the tame and timid office environments we work in today, where it would be incredibly uncouth to jump on a desk and start singing your favorite song off by heart. But only a few decades ago that would have made you the life of the party and the top pick for any promotion that might come your way. Sure, it had its troubles and issues, we will not deny that, but we have no less in today's modern office.

The difference being that along the way we forgot how to have fun at the office and breath some life into the work that we do. So for all of you who wish they could get wild at office functions like they did back in the day, we salute you and hope you enjoy this trip down memory lane.

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  • Oh to have been a fly on the wall during one of the most unhinged times in recent history. The idea that this amount of sauce would be on offer in today’s corporate company christmas party is unimaginable, no less the hijinks that went down at such events. Perhaps it is for the best that these traditions were phased out. No one needs to see their manager puke.

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  • Seems as though these two wanted to step outside to get away from the madness and partake in a little interpretive dancing. Though that being said the guy on the left looks like he might be singing his favorite christmas song full pelt and out of tune. An interesting moment nonetheless.

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    Geoff Lloyd → @GeoffLloyd Follow This is great! I'm in a Macclesfield group on Facebook, and someone put up a picture of his dad's work Christmas drinks from the 70s. He worked at Macclesfield Unemployment Office and lan Curtis from Joy Division is one of the colleagues. E
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photos invention human resources baby boomers 1970s Holiday party before 1960s
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