50 Forgotten Professions: A Fascinating Journey Into The Near Past

By Mike Ciman

A Fascinating Journey into the Past in 50 Professions
Welcome to the fascinating world of forgotten professions. In this book, explore 50 professions that have played important roles throughout history, but which - due to the advance of technology and the evolution of society - have gradually been abandoned.

From the Human Alarm Clock to Radio Actors, from the Factory Reader to the Calculating Machine Operator, each profession had a history and specific characteristics with which it contributed to improving life in society.
In this book, you'll learn more about the hard work and skills required to perform these professions, many of which have almost disappeared or been forgotten. 

Get ready for an interesting and educational journey as you delve into the professions of the past, discovering their fascinating stories and reflecting on the legacy they have left us.
A book for history buffs and anyone curious about the past.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mike Ciman
• Release date: Apr 9, 2024
• ISBN: 9791223026465

Book preview

1.  Human alarm clock

This peculiar profession involved waking people up in the morning, before the invention of mechanical and electronic alarm clocks. These individuals were hired to knock on doors or even enter rooms to wake up residents at specific times.

Human alarm clocks usually had fixed times to wake up their customers, often repeating the same routine every day.

They could use various methods, such as knocking on doors, humming songs, talking loudly or even using musical instruments to make sure people woke up in time.

Human alarm clocks could be self-employed or hired by hotels, inns or even wealthy families who wanted a personalized and punctual way of waking up.

Curiosities

●  Before the proliferation of mechanical and electronic alarm clocks, human alarm clocks played an essential role in ensuring that people woke up in time for their daily commitments, such as work, school or social events.

●  Some human alarm clocks have developed local reputations for their ability to wake up even the sleepiest of sleepers, using creative and effective methods to ensure that their customers never miss a morning.

●  With the advance of technology and the widespread availability of mechanical and then digital personal alarm clocks, the profession of human alarm clock has practically disappeared, surviving only in cultural niches or as a historical curiosity.

2.  Lamplighter

The lamp lighter was an essential figure on city streets before electricity became widespread. In the absence of electric lighting, gas lamps lighted streets. These professionals had the task of manually turning the lamps on and off, ensuring that the streets remained lit during the night and went out at dawn.

The lamp lighter usually began his work at nightfall, when darkness began to envelop the city streets.

Equipped with a long stick with a flame at the end, he would go through the streets carefully lighting each lamp. This process required skill and precision, as the lamps had to be lit at specific times to ensure adequate lighting throughout the night. Early in the morning, the lighter would return to extinguish the lamps, thus finishing his shift.

Lamplighters were usually men hired by local authorities or gas companies responsible for maintaining public lighting. They were often people from the local community who knew the streets well and had the technical skills to do the job efficiently.

Curiosities

●  The profession of lamplighter was often associated with a romantic image, with stories of lone workers roaming the streets at night, lighting up the city.

●  Some lamplighters developed unique techniques to carry out their work more effectively, such as memorizing the times to light each lamp or even creating special devices to facilitate this process.

●  With the advance of electrification, the profession of lamp lighter gradually disappeared, becoming a nostalgic reminder of a time gone by.

●  In some historic cities, such as London and Prague, you can still find special events where gas lamps are lit to recreate the atmosphere of the past.

3.  resurrectionist

Resurrectionists were individuals who engaged in the illegal practice of digging up recently buried corpses. This activity was carried out with the aim of selling the bodies to medical schools and scientific research institutions, which used them for anatomical studies and medical experiments.

The resurrectionists work clandestinely and at night, using shovels and flashlights to dig up bodies in cemeteries. They try to work quickly and quietly