Forgotten Jobs

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A historical look at weird, lost professions: leech collectors, knocker-uppers, human computers No Longer Accepting Applications

  1. 1d ago

    Ice Harvesters vs. Refrigerator Men: The Cold War of Cooling

    Before your fridge had a freezer, two competing armies battled to keep your food fresh: the rugged ice harvesters who sawed massive blocks from frozen lakes each winter, and the mechanical refrigerator men who hawked electric cooling as the future. This is the story of how a centuries-old seasonal trade vanished almost overnight, taking with it ice houses, sawdust insulation techniques, and an entire winter economy.

  2. Aug 4

    7 Railroad Jobs That Vanished With the Steam Age

    Before modern trains, entire crews of specialized workers kept the rails running—from ice cutters who stocked dining cars to brake runners who leaped between moving freight cars. We're counting down seven death-defying, bizarre, and utterly essential railroad jobs that vanished when steam power died, taking with it a whole world of forgotten labor.

  3. Jul 16

    The Rat Catcher of Hamelin: When Vermin Control Was an Art

    In Victorian London, one man held the strangest royal warrant ever issued: Official Rat and Mole Destroyer to Her Majesty. Jack Black didn't just kill rats—he caught them alive, bred exotic colors, and sold them as pets to the aristocracy. This is the story of how rat catching evolved from essential pest control into a bizarre blend of showmanship, science, and high society scandal.

  4. Jun 19

    Knocker-Uppers vs. Town Criers: The Battle to Wake Britain

    Before alarm clocks, two professions battled for the ears of British townspeople: knocker-uppers who tapped on windows at dawn, and town criers who bellowed news through the streets. Discover how these human alarm systems competed, overlapped, and ultimately faced extinction as technology rendered their voices obsolete.

  5. Jun 8

    5 Bizarre Food Jobs That Fed America

    Before refrigerators and food safety laws, America's dinner tables depended on jobs that sound almost unbelievable today. We're counting down five forgotten food-related professions that kept the nation fed, from the ice cutters who braved frozen lakes to the human alarm clocks who woke up bakery workers. These jobs disappeared with technology, but their stories reveal how dramatically our relationship with food has changed.

  6. May 23

    The Lamplighters of Victorian London

    Before automatic switches and electric bulbs, thousands of men climbed ladders through London's fog-choked streets each evening, carrying long poles to ignite gas lamps one by one. We explore the rigorous routines, hidden dangers, and surprising social role of lamplighters—the timekeepers of the Victorian city who vanished almost overnight when technology caught up.

  7. Jan 7

    Forgotten by Time

    Glad we don't have to these anymore!

    Forgotten by Time

  8. 12/24/2025

    Winter's Forgotten

    Glad we don't have to these anymore!

    Winter's Forgotten
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About

A historical look at weird, lost professions: leech collectors, knocker-uppers, human computers No Longer Accepting Applications

Information

  • Creator
    Podgo
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    23
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Podgo Services, LLC All Rights Reserved
  • Show Website
    Forgotten Jobs