Careers that time erased: Disappeared professions of the modern age
By studying the lists of professions in demand in a given period of human history, you can learn a lot about society: people’s preferences, technical equipment, and even conclude the sanitary conditions of cities. Certain specialties arise in the wake of the demands of their time, but then disappear just as quickly. In this review, a story about some professions, the memory of which is now only in photographs.
The seller of time
Before the beginning of the radio era, when accurate time signals were not yet transmitted on the air, accurate clock reconciliation was very relevant. This was done by Time Sellers. The last representative of this profession was Ruth Belleville. Every morning, she set the chronograph by the Greenwich Observatory clock and then toured the clients who subscribed to this service. This way, people had the opportunity to synchronize their watches according to Greenwich Mean Time. The margin of error was no more than 10 seconds. This profession was popular in the 19th century. With the advent of radio, which transmitted accurate time signals (this first happened in 1926), many customers, of course, stopped paying for such a service. However, Ruth worked until 1940.
The alarm clock
special whistles.
This man’s activities were also related to the exact time. He had to wake up his client on request. This was done either by knocking on the window (long sticks and pebbles were used) or with the help of special pipes. Such professionals were common in England and Ireland. Visit. A F R I N I K . C O M . For the full article. In Russia, by the way, the janitors woke up the residents.
Ratcatcher
People in this profession do a very important job, ridding cities of harmful rodents. This activity was radically different from modern pest baiting: rat catchers climbed through basements and sewers, catching rats manually. Of course, it required special skill. Interestingly, these same “professionals” were sometimes involved in the breeding and sale of pet rats, as well as supplying live rodents for the popular fun of dog baiting at that time. In 1835, the use of bears and bulls was banned in England for such purposes, and bloody entertainment began to be carried out with rats. Many professions have disappeared literally in the lifetime of one generation of people. Our parents could also see them.
The shoe cleaner
That’s right, this profession is called a Bootlegger. It appeared back in the 18th century. The cleaning boys became a real “sign of the times” because children mainly did this simple work. This service was popular until the mid-20th century, and then gradually disappeared in Europe and America; however, it continues to flourish in Asia and Latin America. Therefore, it is too early to formally call it a “deceased profession.” In India, there is even a shoe shine trade union and a special license for this type of activity.
Street Knife Grinder
Interestingly, people of this profession have been known since antiquity. Artisan grinders had small workshops or went to towns and villages in search of customers. In those days, when life and well-being often depended on edged weapons, such a narrow specialization justified itself. In the 20th century, street knife sharpeners were still very common. Their professional tool was most often a foot-operated grindstone. Now there are no such people, although this profession, called a sharpener in production, is quite an official and in-demand work specialty.
The stenographer
The disappearance of this specialty can be compared to the explosion of a huge multi-storey building. A skill that has been honed for thousands of years has ceased to be in demand in just a few decades. Technological progress in this case turned out to be ruthless. If we recall the history of this profession, then its beginning dates back to Ancient Egypt, where the speeches of the pharaohs were recorded with conventional icons. In the 1st century BC, the first system of signs used for cursive writing was invented.
Since the end of the 16th century, shorthand has been developing rapidly and has become a full-fledged professional institution with its own educational institutions, specialized printed publications, and regularly held international congresses. In our country, in 2018, this profession seems to have ended its existence. Since April 1, the positions of “Secretary-stenographer”, “Stenographer”, and “Head of the Typewriting bureau” have been excluded from the Qualification Directory of positions of managers, specialists, and other employees.
