Imagine: you were in demand in the labor market, and suddenly you were laid off. Not because the organization you worked for is over. It's just that no one else needs representatives of your profession. Nowhere. Scared to think? Then read the material from the site about disappeared professions and hope it doesn't happen to you.
# 1 Bowling lane pin setter
They were usually boys who were hired to arrange the pins. Today this process is mechanized, and the need for boys has disappeared.
# 2 Alarm clock man. Disappeared professions
These people were, in the literal sense of the word, alarm clocks - their services were used by those who themselves could not wake up on time. Alarm clock people used sticks, batons or stones to knock on clients' windows and doors. It is a pity that this profession no longer exists. Decades later, people continue to be late for work day after day, and a good blow with a stick to some of our contemporaries would be useful. Maybe some of the disappeared professions should be revived?
# 3 Ice ax
Before modern freezing methods were widespread, ice axes cut ice from frozen lakes so that people could use it for domestic purposes. It was dangerous work, often done in extreme conditions.
Before radar was invented, troops used acoustic mirrors and listening devices, such as the one pictured, to detect the sound of an approaching aircraft engine.
# 5 Pied Piper. Disappeared professions
The rat catchers were involved in the control of the rat population in Europe. They constantly risked being bitten and fatally infected. But it was the representatives of this vanished profession that prevented the spread of infections in society.
# 6 Lamplighter
Using long poles, lamplighters lit, extinguished and refueled streetlights before electric lights were invented.
# 7 Milkman
Before the advent of refrigeration and canning technologies, milk had to be delivered daily, otherwise it would spoil. Delivery of milk was the most important responsibility of the milkman.
# 8 Log driver
Before technology and infrastructure made it possible to transport logs by trucks, log drivers rafted logs down rivers from felling sites to processing areas.
# 9 Operator
Telephonists were the nexus of telephone networks until modern technology supplanted them. They connected calls over long distances and did other work that computers now do.
In the 19th century, corpse snatchers were hired to exhume bodies so that universities could use them as teaching aids in the future. It was difficult to legally acquire the corpses, so universities had to resort to other means to provide their students with educational materials.
In a broad sense, the reader is the one who reads. However, reciters were often hired with money raised by workers. This obsolete profession used to read to manual laborers, thus entertaining them. Some of them read trade union publications.
We have already written about what the world may expect in the next 10-15 years, when self-driving cars will become a reality, 3-d printing will develop and the cost of solar energy production will decrease. And that all of this will lead to the fact that 70-80% of current jobs will disappear in the next 20 years.
Of course, these are only forecasts, but they are supported by very real historical examples. Here are just a few professions that were very popular in the last century and disappeared without a trace thanks to the triumph of the industrial revolution.
Disappeared professions of the last century
1. Coachman
“The horse was, is, and will be, but the car is just a fancy fad,” in 1903, the president of the Michigan Savings Bank tried to dissuade lawyer Horace Rackham from investing in Henry Ford's venture.
Then the overwhelming majority of the population agreed with him, and certainly the coachmen themselves refused to believe that their profession could disappear almost overnight due to the spread of cars, and in the future - public transport.
Together with the coachmen, coachmen also disappeared - this profession flourished in Russia since the 17th century. The coachmen were in the civil service, lived in special “Yamskiye” settlements and received money and gunpowder salaries from the treasury. They delivered mail, government cargo, transported officials, and generally played an important role in the country's economy before the spread of railway transport.
2. Wheeler
Wheelers were also out of work - craftsmen who made wheels, carts and carriages, as well as repairing vehicles that had gone into the past. Now only the surnames and names of the villages remind of this profession.
3. Telephone operator
The invention of automatic telephone exchanges first endangered and then completely destroyed the profession of telephone operator.
The representatives of this profession were mainly girls. The telephone operators sat at a special board, switching and connecting telephone lines to each other. The work was rather nervous - according to the standards, the connection in manual mode took only eight seconds, the call could be interrupted. Telephone operators worked manually until the 1980s - the system continued to be used for international calls.
4. Ice collector
The refrigerator, which appeared in the 40s of the twentieth century, became the reason for the disappearance of another interesting profession - ice harvesting.
It is now impossible to imagine life without a refrigerator, and less than a century ago, food was stored in special cabinets with ice - glaciers (it’s even scary to imagine how people survived in the summer). Procurers cut blocks of ice from frozen lakes and rivers and delivered them to their homes.
5. Wake-up man
The profession of a man-alarm clock (in English it was called a knocker-up, which would be more correct to translate as "a man who wakes up with a knock") existed in England and Ireland during the Industrial Revolution. The job of the snitch-movers was to wake the workers up before the shift. They used long, lightweight bamboo sticks to reach the second-story windows. Alarm clocks were paid a few pence a week, and this part-time job was great for women and seniors who couldn't work in the factory. The profession went down in history only in the 20s of the last century.
6. The Reader in the Factory
Another interesting product of the industrial revolution is the reader or lecturer, as he is sometimes called. This is not about education or scientific lectures in lecture halls. The readers entertained the workers right during the production process, since the work in the factories was very dull and monotonous. Often the workers themselves hired the reciters, collecting money on their own to pay for their labor. Usually newspapers or entertainment texts were read to workers, but at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, agitators began to actively use reciters - instead of newspapers, left-wing political manifestos appeared in the hands of lecturers. Of course, this was not to the liking of the factory owners, and in the 1920s radio replaced readers in most countries.
But on the Island of Freedom, readers still exist. Last year, the inhabitants of Cuba officially celebrated the 150th anniversary of the profession of "reader in a tobacco factory", which, as it is believed, arose on December 21, 1865. In connection with the round date, the Cuban government even approached UNESCO with a proposal to inscribe this profession on the List of the World Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Currently in Cuba, more than 300 people work as professional readers in tobacco factories - all of them are government employees. They devote only 90 minutes a day to reading texts, and devote the rest of the working day to preparing materials for the next reading and discussion of what they read with the workers.
7. Calculator
Before the invention of the computer, there was a profession of a calculator. The calculators performed long and tedious calculations by hand and worked as a team. Each member of the team did their part of the work, so the work in the team proceeded in parallel.
The work of calculators on the Manhattan Project (codename for the US nuclear weapons program) was very important during World War II. It was performed by six female calculators. After the end of the war, computers worked at NASA on mission-related projects. In the future, the need for this profession has disappeared due to the development of computers.
8. Typist
Another popular female profession that has become a thing of the past with the advent of computers is a typist, that is, a typesetter of texts on a typewriter. Of course, the specialty "typesetter on the computer" appeared, but the popularity of these professions is incomparable - the copying function has changed the world of text creators.
And since the conversation turned to information carriers, why not remember another profession that has sunk into oblivion - the scribe, which disappeared with the advent of printing. The scribe professionally copied books and documents by hand. Historically, scribes handled the affairs of large landowners, kings, chronicled temples and cities, and also copied various significant texts, including chronicles and sacred writings.
9. Lamplighter
Before the invention of electric lanterns, large cities were lit with candle or gas lanterns, which were lit by lamplighters. To climb the lantern, they used long ladders and set it on fire with matches or oil lamps. Their functions included: ignition and extinguishing of lanterns, filling tanks with flammable liquid and repairing lanterns.
The profession partially disappeared with the advent of gas lanterns, which were automatically lit at a certain time, without human intervention. The advent of electricity finally put an end to it, but completely new professions appeared - network engineers and electricians.
10. Radar man
It's hard to imagine, but before the invention of radars, radars were manually operated by human radars, using acoustic mirrors and eavesdropping devices to detect the sound of approaching aircraft engines. In the first half of the last century, the profession was considered very popular. But they had one significant drawback: they caught the frequencies of aircraft flying at low speed, and also could not distinguish between a military machine and a civilian one.
11. Barge Haulers
The appearance of steamships contributed to the disappearance of the barge haulers profession. Barge haulers were called hired workers in Russia of the 16th-early 20th centuries, who, walking along the coast, pulled river vessels against the current with the help of a string. The work was seasonal: boats were pulled in spring and autumn. The work of the barge haulers was very hard and monotonous. The speed of movement depended on the strength of the wind.
In the Russian Empire, the city of Rybinsk was called the "capital of barge haulers" from the beginning of the 19th century. During the summer navigation, a quarter of all Russian burglary passed through it.
12. The rafter
It was not easy for the timber raftsmen, because they performed the functions of today's trucks, collecting logs and delivering them for processing. Previously, the process of transporting timber looked like this: in winter, felled trees were piled on the frozen surface of the river, in spring the ice melted and the logs began to float downstream. Strong and strong men walked along the bank with long sticks, directing the logs and removing various obstacles from their path. The profession disappeared at the beginning of the 20th century, with the spread of the railway and the advent of portable sawmills.
13. Water carrier and water carrier
Before the advent of centralized water supply, water was delivered to houses by water carriers. They collected water from the source, poured it into containers and transported or carried it to homes.
The invention of the plumbing did not immediately destroy this profession. In St. Petersburg, in the middle of the 19th century, 37 water pumps were operating; from them water in buckets was carried around the city by water carriers. Because without water, as you know, “neither are there and are not here”. Only in the twentieth century this profession finally disappeared in Europe.
so
Should we be afraid of the coming total unemployment? For some reason, it seems to us that no.
Judge for yourself. The eight-hour working day was introduced in the 19th century, during the industrial revolution in England - before that, factory workers worked 14-16 hours a day. More than 100 years have passed, technology has developed and workers in all industries have acquired the ability to perform a much larger volume of work in a short period of time. It would be logical to expect that this will lead to a shortening of the workday. And the invention of the computer in general should have already left half of the planet without work.
But this has not happened yet - work, or rather "employment", is becoming more and more, and time - less and less. This means that some other mechanisms are at work here - “universal employment” is beneficial to everyone. But this is a completely different conversation.
In the history of Ancient Rome and Greece, there were several unusual professions, most of which can hardly be envied.
Silver miner
In ancient Rome, silver was mined by hand. The boys were lowered into narrow narrow burrows, very deep. Due to the fact that it was hot there and poisonous gases were present, it was possible to live in this mode for no more than 3 months. But the Romans did not care, since the workers were slaves.
Sterkorarius
Ancient Rome was famous for the first "sewer" prototype in history. But it was not centralized, but individual for each house. And when your abode is above a large container with waste, you need someone careless who will come and take away all this stuff. Who is this? Of course, my friend Sterkorarius!
Orgy organizer
Something like a modern event manager. Orgy did not mean what we mean today. It was a high society dinner with copious libations, food, and women. Which sometimes ended in a sexual rampage. The organizer of the orgies had to provide purchases, equip the premises, provide rooms for guests, invite women, etc. It was a disrespectful profession, its representatives were not liked, but they often resorted to their services.
The name of the most famous orgy planner has survived to this day - it is Guy Petronius the Arbiter. He was close to Nero, and he was even called "the arbiter of elegance."
Acquaintance with Nero left him sideways - he sentenced Gaius Petronius to suicide, and naturally, he was forced to carry out the orders of the emperor.
Urinator
The urinators' task was to dive to a depth of more than 30 meters, most often to install building structures. The diver had an air cap in the form of a bell on top and a weight on his legs below. A rope connected him to the surface. This job was highly respected and highly paid.
Preferred body bearer
Despite the fact that these people were always well dressed and well fed, their work cannot be called easy. Imagine a staircase of hundreds of steps, along which you need to lift the loins of the great and the terrible! And if we take into account the fact that the "stretcher" was inlaid with gold and glass, the task is not at all an easy one. In addition, the body had to be carried carefully so as not to cause motion sickness in it.
Gymnasiarch
In ancient Greece, athletic sports were held in high esteem. To become one, one had to be a man from 30 to 60 years old, and have a revered status in society.
The gymnasiarch was elected for a term of 1 year. The main tasks of the gymnasiums were the education and training of young people, the organization and conduct of competitions. In order for the athletes to look presentable, the gymnasium washed their bodies and lubricated them with special oils. It is interesting that funds for the maintenance of the gymnasiums were not allocated, the gymnasiums actually supported them themselves.
Benefits of the profession? The gymnasiums were very respected people. Plus, you could carry a stick, which was taught to violators of the order.
Curse Tablet Maker
This work is mental, but no less difficult. Kind of like a modern copywriter. If you wanted to wish someone something nasty, you ordered such a tablet from him and carried it to the temple. It was believed that a deity can read such a tablet and do what is written there.
The unhappy scribbled half of the day listened to the complaints of the guests, and the second half he sculpted terrifying curses. Fortunately, many of these tablets have survived. Here is one of them: "paralyze all the limbs and joints of Victorius, the driver of the Blue Team ... all his horses ... blind their eyes so that they cannot see, and cloud their souls and hearts so that they cannot breathe."
Funeral clown
the funeral clown was paid to change into the deceased, behave happily, dance and joke. The Romans believed that this would drive away evil spirits and provide the deceased with joy in the afterlife. During the funeral, this clown ran around the body, joked and grimaced the deceased, his manner. Some of these clowns were held in high esteem, and they were given the honor of serving the funerals of noble people and emperors.
Water organ organist
Water organs work on the same principle as wind organs, except that water is used instead of air. In ancient times, these were quite common instruments, and organ musicians were very popular.
For example, the name of one such musician has survived to this day - a certain Antiparos played the water organ for two days, and became very famous. The organist of the aquatic organ could count on a long career as a musician, on invitations to various holidays and events. Even the same Nero played the water organ.
A selection of professions that have most likely disappeared into history forever.
Silver miner
In ancient Rome, silver was mined by hand. The boys were lowered into narrow narrow burrows, very deep. Due to the fact that it was hot there and poisonous gases were present, it was possible to live in this mode for no more than 3 months. But the Romans did not care, since the workers were slaves.
Sterkorarius
Ancient Rome was famous for the first sewage prototype in history. But it was not centralized, but individual for each house. And when your abode is above a large container with waste, you need someone careless who will come and take away all this stuff. Who is this? Of course, my friend Sterkorarius!
Orgy organizer
Something like a modern event manager. Orgy did not mean what we mean today. It was a high society dinner with copious libations, food, and women. Which sometimes ended in a sexual rampage. The organizer of the orgies had to provide purchases, equip the premises, provide rooms for guests, invite women, etc. It was a disrespectful profession, its representatives were not liked, but they often resorted to their services.
The name of the most famous orgy planner has survived to this day - it is Guy Petronius the Arbiter. He was close to Nero, and he was even called "the arbiter of elegance."
Acquaintance with Nero left him sideways - he sentenced Gaius Petronius to suicide, and naturally, he was forced to carry out the orders of the emperor.
Urinator
The urinators' task was to dive to a depth of more than 30 meters, most often to install building structures. The diver had an air cap in the form of a bell on top and a weight on his legs below. A rope connected him to the surface. This job was highly respected and highly paid.
Funeral clown
The funeral clown was paid to dress up as the deceased, behave happily, dance and joke. The Romans believed that this would drive away evil spirits and provide the deceased with joy in the afterlife. During the funeral, this clown ran around the body, joked and grimaced the deceased, his manner. Some of these clowns were held in high esteem, and they were given the honor of serving the funerals of noble people and emperors.
Rat catcher
Rat catchers existed in Europe and controlled rat populations. At this work, it was easy to pick up any infection, but thanks to its existence, a huge number of rats were exterminated, which had a very beneficial effect on people's lives.
Resurrectionist
“Body Snatchers” existed in the 19th century and were involved in the digging of corpses from graves for universities, which used them to educate students. Legal corpses were rarely obtained, so universities had to use other means to acquire teaching material for their students.
In the history of Ancient Rome and Greece, there were several unusual professions, most of which can hardly be envied.
Silver miner
In ancient Rome, silver was mined by hand. The boys were lowered into narrow narrow burrows, very deep. Due to the fact that it was hot there and poisonous gases were present, it was possible to live in this mode for no more than 3 months. But the Romans did not care, since the workers were slaves.
Sterkorarius
Ancient Rome was famous for the first "sewer" prototype in history. But it was not centralized, but individual for each house. And when your abode is above a large container with waste, you need someone careless who will come and take away all this stuff. Who is this? Of course, my friend Sterkorarius!
Orgy organizer
Something like a modern event manager. The word "orgy" did not mean what we mean today. It was a high society dinner with copious libations, food, and women. Which sometimes ended in a sexual rampage. The organizer of the orgies had to provide purchases, equip the premises, provide rooms for guests, invite women, etc. It was a disrespectful profession, its representatives were not liked, but they often resorted to their services.
The name of the most famous orgy planner has survived to this day - it is Guy Petronius the Arbiter. He was close to Nero, and he was even called the "arbiter of elegance."
Acquaintance with Nero left him sideways - he sentenced Gaius Petronius to suicide, and naturally, he was forced to carry out the orders of the emperor.
Urinator
The urinators' task was to dive to a depth of more than 30 meters, most often to install building structures. The diver had an air cap in the form of a bell on top and a weight on his legs below. A rope connected him to the surface. This job was highly respected and highly paid.
Preferred body bearer
Despite the fact that these people were always well dressed and well fed, their work cannot be called easy. Imagine a staircase of hundreds of steps, along which you need to lift the loins of the great and the terrible! And if we take into account the fact that the "stretcher" was inlaid with gold and glass, the task seems to be not at all an easy one. In addition, the body had to be carried carefully so as not to cause motion sickness in it.
Gymnasiarch
In ancient Greece, athletic sports were held in high esteem. To become one, one had to be a man from 30 to 60 years old, and have a revered status in society.
The gymnasiarch was elected for a term of 1 year. The main tasks of the gymnasiums were the education and training of young people, the organization and conduct of competitions. In order for the athletes to look presentable, the gymnasium washed their bodies and lubricated them with special oils. It is interesting that funds for the maintenance of the gymnasiums were not allocated, the gymnasiums actually supported them themselves.
Benefits of the profession? The gymnasiums were very respected people. Plus, you could carry a stick, which was taught to violators of the order.
Curse Tablet Maker
This work is mental, but no less difficult. Kind of like a modern copywriter. If you wanted to wish someone something nasty, you ordered such a tablet from him and carried it to the temple. It was believed that a deity can read such a tablet and do what is written there.
The unhappy scribbled half of the day listened to the complaints of the guests, and the second half he sculpted terrifying curses. Fortunately, many of these tablets have survived. Here is one of them: "paralyze all the limbs and joints of Victorius, the driver of the Blue Team ... all his horses ... blind their eyes so that they cannot see, and cloud their souls and hearts so that they cannot breathe."
funeral clown
the funeral clown was paid to change into the deceased, behave happily, dance and joke. The Romans believed that this would drive away evil spirits and provide the deceased with joy in the afterlife. During the funeral, this clown ran around the body, joked and grimaced the deceased, his manner. Some of these clowns were held in high esteem, and they were given the honor of serving the funerals of noble people and emperors.
Water organ organist
Water organs work on the same principle as wind organs, except that water is used instead of air. In ancient times, these were quite common instruments, and organ musicians were very popular.
For example, the name of one such musician has survived to this day - a certain Antiparos played the water organ for two days, and became very famous. The organist of the aquatic organ could count on a long career as a musician, on invitations to various holidays and events. Even the same Nero played the water organ.
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