Once upon a time, occupations looked a lot different than they do today. People made a living from things we don’t even need anymore. There were jobs which were essential to how the world worked. Most of these jobs disappeared as technology developed and societies evolved. They are all relics of the past now — but it’s amusing to revisit their era. Let’s stroll through time and look at some jobs that were once popular and are now totally outdated.
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Switchboard Operator
In the old days, making a phone call was not as simple as dialing a number. Switchboard operators sat in front of enormous boards with wires – connecting one person to the next. They’d take your call and physically connect you to the right line. Today, automation does all that in a split second. It’s hard to believe we had to pay a human middleman to just say “Hello”.
Lamplighter
Imagine a time when streetlights didn’t turn on themselves. At night lamplighters walked across town with long poles and flickered the gas lamps one by one. And when the sun came up, they’d return to turn them off. With electric streetlights now everywhere — the job is no longer needed.
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Milkman
The milkman once was a fixture of every neighborhood. You could get fresh milk delivered to your door every morning in glass bottles. It was convenient & personal – but the convenience of home refrigerators and supermarkets wiped out the need for daily milk delivery. If anyone’s putting bottles on your front porch now, that’s likely Amazon – not your local dairy guy.
Typist/Word Processor
Offices used to rely on professional typists to write letters, reports and paperwork long before computers became commonplace. These people had to be able to type exactly what they wanted — editing wasn’t as simple as pressing backspace. With computers and programs such as Word, everyone can type documents – so the job is pretty much dead.
Ice Cutter
Even before fridges, people relied on ice to keep food cold. This is when ice cutters were useful – these were tough men who would brave freezing temperature to cut chunks of ice out of iced lakes and rivers. The ice was then transported and stored in iceboxes. When the fridge became common, these men had to hang up their saws.
Human Alarm Clock (Knocker-Up)
Before alarm clocks existed, people employed knocker-ups to wake them up. These men would knock on windows or bang on sticks until their customers got up. Some even used pea shooters to shoot high windows! We now have phones with alarms — and nobody is flinging peas outside to wake us up.
Telegraph Operator
Telegraph operators were like the text messengers of their time. They translated messages into Morse code and relayed them via telegraph wires. A telegraph was something special then, but let’s face it- there is WhatsApp and email these days. Morse code? We wouldn’t even spell our own names in it.
Bowling Alley Pinsetter
You’ve probably seen the pin-resetting machines if you’ve ever bowled. Until those came along, the resetting was manually done by children. It was messy, noisy & dangerous with bowling balls moving around. Thank goodness for automation — no one wants to risk their toes for minimum wage.
Coal Stoker
Coal stokers had the sweaty, grubby job of shoveling coal into furnaces so that steam engines ran. They labored on railroads, on ships and even in factories. This was exhausting labor & with the invention of greener, more productive sources of energy – the occupation disappeared. Nowadays, we would more readily picture coal stoking in a classic film than in actuality.
Projectionist
Movie theatres used to be run by someone seated in a little booth with a film projector. They had to switch reels and maintain the continuity of the movie—not an easy job! Digital projectors took over and everything is now automated. Movie theaters just aren’t the same without that little flicker of film.
Radio Actor
People used to huddle around radios to listen to dramas, comedies, even the breaking news, before TV was even available. Voice-over actors had to make dramatic characters from their voices alone, and sound effects were essential too. When television emerged, radio dramas disappeared. You get podcasts today instead of radio shows.
Elevator Operator
There was a time when riding an elevator was a full-on experience. There were the elevator operators, to push buttons, adjust the speed, make sure everyone was on the correct floor. It was considered a classy occupation but, as the elevators went automatic, operators went extinct. Now it’s you, the buttons & occasional awkward silence with strangers.
Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.
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