When I started work (At 14,in 1937) you weren't even allowed to talk to the person at the next desk without permission of your Supervisor.(Who would want to know exactly WHY you wanted to).
I wonder how people would cope with that today.
I never knew my (nearest) colleague's surname(we didn't do christian names at work then) until I had been there for 6 months!
It sounds like Queen Victoria's reign doesn't it.
Mind you I wouldn't want to go back to that era,even given the many faults of this time.