Over time, many jobs became obsolete as technology advanced. Here are some unique ones now lost to history
Knocker-up
Before alarm clocks, "knocker-ups" roamed streets, tapping windows with sticks to wake people for work
Lamp lighter
Before electric lights, lamplighters manually lit, extinguished, and maintained city gas lamps daily
Rat catcher
Rat catchers were hired to control rodent populations, but were also exposed to diseases from rats
Switchboard Operator
Before phones became common, switchboard operators manually connected calls by plugging wires. As automatic dialing systems took over, this role eventually disappeared from the workforce
Ice cutters
Before refrigerators, ice-cutters harvested ice from frozen lakes to supply ice boxes
Human computer
Before computers became common, skilled human calculators performed complex calculations manually for scientific and engineering tasks
Leech Collector
In earlier times, leech collectors gathered these creatures from ponds and lakes to supply doctors for medical bloodletting procedures
Resurrectionist
Before body donation became common, resurrectionists, or body snatchers, dug up graves to sell bodies to medical schools
Pinsetter
Pinsetters manually reset bowling pins after each throw until machines replaced them
Gong Farmer
Before modern sewage systems, gong farmers removed human waste from cesspits, risking their health