Stunning Vintage Photos of Jobs That No Longer Exist

It seems like every single day, there's a new headline about how AI is coming for our jobs. But the truth is, technology taking over human work isn't a new thing. Machines have been stealing our gigs for centuries now. Long before LLMs and AI image generation tools started threating the livelihoods of writers and designers, innovation had already put lamplighters, elevator operators, and even "human computers" out of business.

Back then, it wasn't algorithms or robots doing the replacing; instead, it was alarm clocks, light switches, and calculators. It's crazy to imagine that these now ubiquitous modern gadgets were so innovative that they cost people their jobs at some point. While it's super easy to romanticize the past, these vintage photos remind us that progress is just part of human history. So, before you freak out over potentially losing your job to ChatGPT, scroll down for some fascinating photos of long-lost jobs and be grateful you don't have to wake people up with a stick for a living.

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via @myretrophoto
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A factory lector was person hired to read newspapers, novels, and political texts out loud to factory workers to keep them entertained and informed during long shifts.
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via @myretrophoto
Before electric streetlights, lamplighters walked the streets each evening to ignite gas lamps and returned at dawn to extinguish them. You might be familiar with these guys if you've ever read The Little Prince.
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via @myretrophoto
Before automated machines, pinsetters manually reset bowling pins and cleared fallen ones between rounds.
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via @myretrophoto
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These men and women performed complex mathematical calculations by hand long before electronic computers existed. Kinda like the Mentats from Dune.
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via @myretrophoto
Before we had modern sewage systems, cities hired workers who were responsible for collecting human waste from outdoor privies and then transporting it away for disposal.
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via @myretrophoto
These guys delivered large blocks of ice to homes and businesses to keep food cool in iceboxes before electric refrigerators.
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via @myretrophoto
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This was the person who manually connected phone calls by plugging cables into jacks on a switchboard. So, basically you had to go through phone menu every time you wanted to make a call – at least it wasn't automated!
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via @myretrophoto
Before we all had alarm clocks on our phones (or even the now-obsolete machines that used to sit on everyone's nightstands), humans were hired to tap on workers' windows with a long stick to wake them up!
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via @myretrophoto
Now, you'll still see some of these guys around at fancy hotels, but there was a time where every elevator needed an attendant who manually controlled the whole thing.
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via @myretrophoto
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Milkmen fresh milk and dairy products door-to-door in glass bottles and collected empties for reuse.
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via @myretrophoto
Yes, there are bakers. And maybe some of them still exclusively bake muffins. But when was the last time you saw this?
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via @myretrophoto
A typist was a clerical worker employed to type letters, documents, and reports on a typewriter before word processors. You had to have a pretty high RPM to get this gig.
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via @myretrophoto
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These guys were all about making and repairing wooden wheels.
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via @myretrophoto
I'm an introvert, so I don't always appreciate that people are able to reach my in an instant through text. Somtimes, I wish the only way to communicate with me were through telelgram boy.
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via @myretrophoto
Streets are still swept all around the world, but most of the time, this job is does with machines now.