Odd Jobs from the Past: Weird and Wonderful Occupations
By Jack Ripley | June 7, 2024
Keeping the Bowling Game Going: Pinsetters
Ever wondered what life was like for those who kept the world turning in centuries past? From pinsetters dodging flying bowling balls to rat catchers catching vermin, these weird and wonderful occupations explore what life was like in the time before automation and machines. We'll shine a spotlight on the unusual and offbeat work that kept the wheels of progress turning, one odd job at a time, from Victorian London's gritty streets to 1950s America's alleys and everywhere in between.
Back in the 1920s and 1930s, bowling alleys weren't just places to roll a few balls: They were social hangouts where families and friends gathered for fun. While all the laughter and strikes were happening on the lanes, young boys called pinsetters worked behind the scenes to keep the party rolling.
Pinsetters were the backbone of the game, stationed at the end of each lane. Their job was to quickly reset the pins after every roll. With balls zooming and pins clattering, they had to move like lightning to keep up.
Despite the pressure, it was a decent job. Pinsetters earned a pretty penny for their efforts, giving young boys a chance to pocket some cash while learning the ropes of hard work. It was a gig that taught valuable lessons and put a little extra jingle in their pockets. Sadly, the game changed in the 1950s with the invention of automatic pin-setting machines.
Keeping the Streets Safe: the Lamplighter
Before electric street lights stole the show, there were lamplighters. Every evening, like clockwork, they'd hit the streets with their long poles, each tipped with a flickering flame to ignite the gas lamps that illuminated city streets. Being a lamplighter wasn't a walk in the park. They were on the job, no matter the weather, bringing light and a sense of security to even the darkest corners of the city.
But it wasn't just about lighting up the streets; it was also about being the reliable guardians of the night. Each lamp had to be tended with care, ensuring that they were lit and extinguished at just the right moments. The role demanded both reliability and a sense of responsibility. It was also a job that commanded respect. These were the folks who brightened up the community, in every sense. With the invention of electric streetlights, however, their role gradually dimmed, fading into history.
Finding Treasures in Everyday Trash: The Rag and Bone Men
In the 19th and early 20th centuries, one peculiar character could often be seen strolling through town: the "rag and bone" man. These folks were like treasure hunters, scouring the streets for discarded goodies like rags, bones, and bits of metal. With their trusty horse-drawn carts, they roamed the streets, on a mission to uncover hidden treasures from the piles of household junk.
Think of them as the modern-day pirates of recycling, looking for gold mines from what others saw as trash. In those days, recycling bins and waste management systems were mere fantasies, so people were unwittingly tossing away valuable stuff. But not on the watch of the rag-and-bone men! They swooped in, collected, and breathed new life into these castoffs. Rags found new homes at paper mills, bones were transformed into glue and fertilizer, and metal scraps got a second chance after being melted down and repurposed. It was resourcefulness at its finest, born out of a time when every scrap counted.
The Dangerous Job of Cutting Ice
Before fridges became the norm, there were ice cutters. When winter rolled around, ice cutters would head out to frozen lakes and rivers armed with hand saws and special gear. Their job was to collect hefty blocks of ice and cart them off to ice houses for safekeeping. Ice cutters were crucial because when outdoor temperatures soared, people relied on ice to keep their food fresh and their drinks chilly. And it wasn't just for refreshments – ice was important for keeping medicine cool too.
Being an ice cutter wasn't easy. Ice cutters faced bone-chilling temperatures, slippery surfaces, and the constant risk of falling into freezing water. Yet, despite the dangers, they kept households and businesses cool. Once electric refrigeration arrived, the demand for ice cutters melted away.
Powder Monkeys Kept War Moving Right Along
In the 18th and 19th centuries, one job might make you raise an eyebrow: powder monkey. These weren't your typical crewmates. They were young boys, some as young as 12, with a mission as crucial as it was risky. Their job was to transport gunpowder from the belly of the ship to the cannons during the heat of battle.
When ships clashed, speed was the name of the game. The faster those cannons fired, the better the chances in the fight. You can imagine the pressure on these young shoulders to zip across the deck in all the chaos, carrying bags of gunpowder that could blow at the slightest misstep. It was a job that reflected the tough times they lived in — a time when naval warfare was no joke and every hand was needed, no matter how young.
The Life of the Party: the Clown
Being a clown is like being a magician of mirth. It's a quirky, fascinating gig that's been spreading smiles for centuries. Dressed in their rainbow-colored garb and painted faces, clowns have always been champions of chuckles whether they're clowning around at circuses, birthday parties, or any event needing a dose of fun.
Back when TVs and movies were non-existent, clowns were the heroes of humor, swooping in to rescue us from the daily grind with their zany antics and playful pranks. They were the life of the party in traveling circuses and the highlight of town gatherings where people came together to laugh until their sides hurt. Being a clown wasn't just about goofing off; it was an art form, a reflection of society's deep appreciation and even need for laughter. With slapstick comedy, witty wordplay, and antics that could rival any acrobat, clowns were the maestros of merriment, uniting audiences of all ages in uproarious laughter.
Chasing Rodents to Keep the City Clean
Being a rat catcher was like being the superhero of sanitation back in the 19th and early 20th centuries. These people weren't just chasing rodents for fun. They were on a mission to safeguard public health and keep cities and towns safe from the menace of rats.
Rats were downright dangerous, spreading diseases like the dreaded plague and wreaking havoc on food stores and homes. That's where the rat catchers stepped in, armed with traps, poisons, and sometimes even dogs or ferrets to sniff these rodents out. Rat catchers had to brave the dark depths where rats liked to hang out in cramped and dirty conditions. The need for rat catchers was a reflection of the time when cities were struggling with overcrowding and less-than-impressive sanitation.
Waking Up With a Tap-Tap-Tap At Your Window
Before alarm clocks became a bedroom staple, there was a weird gig called the knocker-upper. It might sound like something out of a scary story, but these people were the human alarm clocks of Britain and Ireland during the 18th and 19th centuries. Imagine waking up to the gentle tap-tap-tap of a long stick on your window or the soft thud of a pea shooter against your door. That's the signature wake-up call of a knocker-upper, ensuring people rose and shone bright and early for work.
In industrial towns, where factory bells rang with the crack of dawn, being late could mean losing a job or missing out on a day's pay. That's where the knocker-uppers came in, pounding the pavements in the wee hours to make sure everyone hit the ground running. Think of it as a snapshot of a time when punctuality was the name of the game and every second counted. Without modern alarms, communities got creative to keep the wheels of daily life turning smoothly.
Wriggling Into Chimney Flues to Clean
In the 18th and 19th centuries, being a chimney sweep was a crucial lifeline for keeping homes safe and cozy, especially in places like Britain and America where fireplaces were the heart and soul of every household. Chimney sweeps scrubbed away soot and debris to prevent chimney fires. In a time when coal and wood were the go-to fuel sources, a dirty chimney was a recipe for disaster.
Who did this dirty job? Mostly young boys, some as young as 6, with a knack for squeezing into tight spaces. They'd wriggle their way up chimney flues, facing clouds of soot and the risk of nasty falls, all in the name of keeping households safe and warm. The job was tough, dirty, and dangerous, and chimney sweeps faced hazardous and grueling work conditions, highlighting the darker side of labor practices in days gone by.
Stealing Bodies From Graveyards: The Resurrectionists
In the 18th and 19th centuries, one job in particular might send shivers down your spine: the resurrectionist. It wasn't exactly the cheeriest gig in town. In fact, it was downright grim. Also known as body snatchers, these people were hired to do the unthinkable: steal corpses from graves.
Back then, medical schools suffered from a serious shortage of bodies for study. Strict laws and religious beliefs made it tough to get hold of cadavers legally. However, medical schools and researchers needed bodies for dissection to push forward the boundaries of medical knowledge and train future doctors. Enter the resurrectionists. Their job was to enter graveyards under the cloak of night to dig up freshly buried bodies and sell them off to medical institutions.
As creepy as their job was, it was also a sign of the times. Medical science was racing ahead, but ethical concerns hadn't quite caught up yet. And let's not forget the inequalities at play: Often, the bodies of the poor, buried in unmarked graves, were targeted.
