When my first child came into the world, capturing his early moments meant using an automatic camera loaded with film. Afterward, you’d take a trip to a photo lab, where they’d develop and print your pictures. Out of the 24 photos, you might have ten good ones—the rest would be blurry or unflattering shots. It wouldn’t surprise me if Gen X had no idea these photo labs existed. It’s just an example of an obsolete shop and an obsolete occupation, and there are plenty.
People are opposed to self-checkouts because they think they’re taking jobs, but how long can we keep them at bay? As technology advances, change is inevitable—with it, those occupations have become part of history. Here are some that you may never have heard of.
1. Lamplighters
Before there was electricity, the streets were lit with gas lamps. Before gas, it was oil or rush lamps. While people knew that electricity existed, the means to use it didn’t come about until the late 19th century. Yet, it wasn’t until the 1950s that electric streetlights became widespread.
Of course, gas and other light forms are required to be lit manually. That’s where the job of lamplighters came in. These people were employed to walk around and light every single street lamp.
2. Switchboard Operators
Things were done by hand when the telephone was in its early stages. The signal would come to an exchange, and a switchboard operator would plug that wire into the correct connection.
Women mainly did this job, so when technology changed to automatic routing, many of these people were out of work. A smaller workforce of switchboard operators still existed for information services up until the 90s.
3. Iceman
Before electric refrigerators, we had ice boxes to keep things cold. The ice industry was huge. It was harvested and shipped, and a person with a horse and cart would come and deliver it to households.
The fridge was invented in 1913, but it took many years before it became a common appliance in every household. By the mid-twentieth century, the iceman was a rare occurrence before disappearing completely.
4. Town Criers
Today, information is at our fingertips. We reach into our pockets and find whatever we want to know from the internet. Over a hundred years ago, radios were expensive, and while there were newspapers, a large part of the population was illiterate.
The easiest way to transmit important information was for a man to walk about, ring a bell, and yell announcements in the town. Once education became more common in the early 20th century and the newspaper industry grew, the town crier was no longer needed.
5. Clock Winder
Believe it or not, this occupation still exists at Buckingham Palace, so perhaps it shouldn’t be on this list. However, it’s a job that no longer exists for most of the world’s population.
Before battery-operated clocks, every clock and watch had to be manually wound up. A clock winder was employed for this task in large households, businesses, and public places.
6. Chimney Sweeps
This is one of those jobs that we are glad no longer exist. The best person to get inside and clean a chimney was a child because they were small. It took one hundred years of people being concerned over the health of these kids before it was banned in 1875.
A mechanical sweeper was invented in the early 19th century, but many weren’t willing to switch. The occupation was dangerous as it was easy to get stuck. In some cases, children were put in hot chimneys to extinguish fires.
7. Newspaper Boys
This isn’t the same as the paperboy who would ride around delivering newspapers by bicycle. Teens and younger boys were employed to stand on particular street corners and peddle the publications. They would sometimes call out the headline of the day to grab attention.
The welfare of some of these children was a very real concern, and charities were set up to help them out. Finally, newspaper boys started being phased out in the 1920s when subscriptions and home delivery started to increase in popularity.
8. Telegraph Operators
The telegraph pole was something that interrupted the streetscape of just about every city around the world. A telegraph is a signal sent across electric wires, and the receiver interprets the code they receive into words. This would then be delivered to the recipient.
Telegraph operators were phased out when the telephone became more popular and advanced. During WWI, thousands of telegraph operators volunteered to send and receive war information, as international telephony wasn’t common.
9. Night Soil Man
Have you ever wondered what happened to waste before sewerage systems were installed in every house? Night soil is just a polite way of saying ‘poop.’
This person would travel around in the early hours of the morning collecting sewerage from cesspools and other toilet facilities. This was one stinky and unsanitary occupation, and we’re glad it doesn’t exist anymore.
10. Knocker-Uppers
In the 19th century, many people didn’t own an alarm clock. The only alarm clock that existed before 1847 was not able to be adjusted and only rang at 4 am. That was sort of useless to many people. So people were woken by knocker-uppers.
These people provided a service by walking around the town with a long stick and rapping on people’s windows at the requested time. In the early 20th century, alarm clocks took their jobs.
11. Rag-and-Bone Men
A type of this occupation still exists today. Back in the 19th century, a rag-and-bone man would walk around the streets with a cart, collecting unwanted household items that would be thrown out. They would then sell these to merchants and live off their measly proceeds.
This occupation disappeared in the 20th century. Today, people who collect scrap metal to sell to recycling centers perform a similar task.
12. Typesetters
How easy is it to type a document on a computer and send it to print? We even have print-on-demand books, which means less paper waste. Before computers, the only way to get print on paper was by stamping it on.
A typesetter’s job was to arrange all the metal letter cutouts on a large board for printing on paper. This stopped being a thing in the 1970s. Imagine having to print an entire daily newspaper like that.
13. Phrenologist
Phrenology was a science that was developed in the 19th century. The theory was that particular bumps or hollows on the scalp would determine someone’s personality. A phrenologist would be consulted for all sorts of things, such as criminal behavior or psychological concerns.
Many phrenologists believed in the superiority of certain races and gender stereotypes. Even though the practice was rejected by the scientific community in the 1840s, it continued into the early 20th century.
14. Match Girls
Today, we have machines in factories that produce matches. Over one hundred years ago, women and girls were employed as cheap labor in factories to hand-make matches.
Phosphorus was used to make matches back then, and these people were in direct contact with it, causing major health issues. Their already low wages were cut for things like talking during work, and there was a major strike in 1888 in opposition to their working conditions. White phosphorus in matches was banned around a decade later.
15. Rat Catcher
Unlike today’s pest control businesses, men would be given the task of catching rats. In cities like London, rodents multiplied easily, causing major problems. It wasn’t just in lower-income neighborhoods—Buckingham Palace also had rat issues.
After the outbreak of the plague, people learned that rats were one reason for the rapid spread of the sickness. Rat catchers were employed to catch the critters, and sometimes, they’d use a dog known as a ‘ratter.’ Rather than a wage, they were paid per catch.
Ree Winter, an Australian journalist now based in New Orleans, combines her love for solo travel with a sharp eye for great flight and accommodation deals. She eagerly shares her travel insights with her audience, drawing from her rich experiences. Ree holds a Master's degree in Journalism and a Bachelor of Arts in Literature and History. Her fascination with history is evident in her stint as a tour guide at historic house museums, showcasing her knowledge of architectural history. Beyond journalism and history, Ree has a unique flair for coffee culture. As a barista, she's operated a coffee van at various events and markets, showcasing her skill in coffee preparation.