Extinct Professions

Blog Posted by Ken Wallace: 4/8/2012 6:27:00 PM

I'm trying to find out some professions that were once a dream job for many people but today has become almost extinct completly. This is for a character in a book i'm writing where he kind of mocks himself about where he works. I could really use your help here, so any ideas would be appreciated, thanks!

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Carol
Eastman

Date: 4/13/2012 3:33:00 PM

Typewriter repair guy, white wash salesman, newspaper type setter, stage coach driver, mule skinner(mule driver), trapper, drive in movie owners, phonograph(record players) makers and repairmen, glass blowers, broom makers(individuals not manufacturers), wild west shows, burlesque.

Vince
Suzadail Jr.

Date: 4/10/2012 8:36:00 PM

Indian fighter, Buffalo hunter, Doctor who makes house calls, medicine man, Travelling salvation preacher, pin setter in a bowling alley, pinball repairman, army scout. ice man, theatre organist.

Sidney
Beck

Date: 4/10/2012 9:14:00 AM

Typist with/without shorthand......buggy whip manufacturer.....nuclear shelter contractor

Mandy
Tams The Golden Girl

Date: 4/9/2012 7:35:00 AM

What era are we talking about, i like the idea of the extinct "Knocker upperthe human alarm clock,paid to knock people up for work. a more modern one is a cobbler, nobody has shoes reparied these days they are a dying profession. xx

David
Williams

Date: 4/9/2012 2:26:00 AM

Ken, many, many moons ago there used to a "Profesional Twanger" in the dockyards, when they were building ships the old fashioned way, I mean by hand, they used to use hot rivets driven in by hand, but obviously they had to be all in a straight line, so two men would hold a blue chalked line very taught and one of them would "twang" the line to create a perfect blue line which the rivets would then be fitted along, the problem was it caused a big strike because they could not agree on who would do the "twanging" so they trained and employed "Professional Twangers" to stop all arguments between different unions, sounds like a good job to me...David

Kabuteng P.Ink
K.

Date: 4/8/2012 11:45:00 PM

.." a light"-- huh? Where did that come from?? I meant "a lot of these industries..." :)

Kabuteng P.Ink
K.

Date: 4/8/2012 11:44:00 PM

Hi Ken :D! hmmm makes me think now-- I suppose that a lot of artisans would be becoming "extinct" because of mass production? I think if it weren't for tourism, a light of these industries would have died by now...There is one skill that pops to mind now-- here in my country that is "dying" only a handful do them, it's cutting Japanese paper for these Filipino sweets- pastillas-- cutting in intricate designs...I know, some might find it crazy to make a "living" just cutting paper but ah I think I would have reveled in doing that :D-- ok I am deviating-- I think it's great you are writing a book and the character for your story sounds intriguing- maybe you can look into one particular artisan craft? glass blowing maybe? or wood carving, weaving-- I think a lot of them are like family traditions but some present generations may not be as enthusiastic in continuing them, sad to say :(

Hgarvey Daniel
Esquire

Date: 4/8/2012 9:19:00 PM

Dear Ken,I don't know about Extinct but definetly on the "Endangered List" I am a "dinasaur" Chef,there are no cans, no packaged meats or vetables The Essentials,Flour,Eggs, Butter,Cream,and Cheese.I debone my Chickens,Ducks,and Squabs.I also butcher Sides of beef,lamb,and Veal A Profession fading Fast, with LOVE ALWAYS and FOREVER,YOUR Eternal Liege...HG

Andrea
Dietrich

Date: 4/8/2012 8:50:00 PM

well, the first one popping to my mind is Librarian. Except it was never really a dream job. I just googled "dream jobs going extinct" and got a list of jobs AND services going out. I am very saddened that bowling alleys will vanish. I really like that game. The best jobs I saw that are replaced by the new age are travel agents, property rental agents and photo developers, milkmen, oh and newspaper classifieds. And here is probably the best one: professional critics! because there are so many on the internet now thinking they are all the greatest!!