Bowling Alley Pinsetter
Pre-radar Listener For Enemy Aircraft
Bowling alley pinsetters were young boys employed at bowling alleys to set up the pins for clients.
Human Alarm Clock
Knocker-uppers were essentially alarm clocks – they were hired to
ensure that people would wake up on time for their own jobs. They would
use sticks, clubs or pebbles to knock on clients’ windows and doors.
Ice Cutter
Before modern refrigeration techniques became widespread, ice
cutters would saw up the ice on frozen lakes for people to use in their
cellars and refrigerators. It was a dangerous job often done in extreme
conditions.
Before radar, troops used acoustic mirrors and listening devices
like these to focus and detect the sound of engines from approaching
aircraft.
Rat Catcher
Rat catchers were employed in Europe to control rat populations.
They ran high risks of suffering bights and infections, but helped
prevent these from spreading to the public.
Lamplighter
Lamplighters used long poles to light, extinguish and refuel street lamps – until electric lamps were introduced
Milkman
Log Driver
Before suitable refrigeration and preservation techniques were
available, milk had to be delivered daily, or else it would spoil. This
was the daily job of the milkman.
Before the technology or infrastructure was available to transport
logs by truck, log drivers would float and guide them down rivers from
logging sites to processing areas.
Switchboard Operator
Switchboard operators were integral parts of a telephone network’s
operation before modern technology rendered them obsolete. They would
connect long-distance calls and do other things that are now done
digitally.
Resurrectionist
Resurrectionists, or “body snatchers,” were hired in the 19th
century to remove corpses from graves for universities to use as
cadavers. Cadavers from legal means were rare and difficult to obtain,
so universities had to resort to other means to procure cadavers for
their students.
Lector Who Entertained Factory Workers
Broadly speaking, a lector is simply someone who reads. However,
they were often hired with money pooled from workers to read to large
rooms full of manual laborers to keep them entertained. Some read
left-leaning or union publications to the workers.
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