Passing notes in class, 1944

10 Jobs That No Longer Exist Today

Back in the day, there were jobs to do just about everything. You could be paid to reset the pins at a bowling alley or knock on people’s windows to wake them up. Here's a list of 10 jobs that no longer exist today...

1. Bowling Alley Pinsetter

Bowling alley pinsetters were young boys employed at bowling alleys to set up the pins for clients.

2. Human Alarm Clock

Knocker-uppers were essentially alarm clocks – they were hired to ensure that people would wake up on time for their own jobs. They would use sticks, clubs or pebbles to knock on clients’ windows and doors.

3. Ice Cutter

Before modern refrigeration techniques became widespread, ice cutters would saw up the ice on frozen lakes for people to use in their cellars and refrigerators. It was a dangerous job often done in extreme conditions.

4. Pre-radar Listener for Enemy Aircraft

Before radar, troops used acoustic mirrors and listening devices like these to focus and detect the sound of engines from approaching aircraft.

5. Rat Catcher

Rat catchers were employed in Europe to control rat populations. They ran high risks of suffering bights and infections, but helped prevent these from spreading to the public.

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A French woman vents her anger towards a German POW with a kick, 1944

A French woman vents her anger towards a German POW with a kick as he is escorted to a prisoner of war collection center by French soldiers, August 28 1944.

30 Stunning Black and White Portraits of Hollywood Stars From the 1950s and 1960s Taken by Phil Stern

Phil Stern (1919–2014) was an American photographer noted for his iconic portraits of Hollywood stars. Stern's images of Marilyn Monroe and James Dean have become widely recognized icons. He died at the age of 95 in Los Angeles of emphysema and congestive heart failure on December 13, 2014.

First as a new photographer in New York and then shooting for Life, Look, Collier’s and other magazines over his 60-year career, Stern amassed a collection of images unmatched by all but a few of his contemporaries.

From a barrel-chested, strutting Marlon Brando, to Marilyn Monroe in a fit of the giggles, to multiple shots of Frank Sinatra yukking it up with the boys in the Rat Pack, if a pop culture moment was unfolding, it seemed as if Stern’s camera was there. His ability to relate and build relationships with celebrities as people, not idols, led to intimate moments captured for all time.

James Dean

Marilyn Monroe

Anita Ekberg

Marlon Brando

Lauren Bacall with Humphrey and Stephen Bogart

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Goldie Hawn's "Laugh-In" Bikini Photoshoot, ca. 1960s

Vintage young Goldie Hawn from the time when this was considered pushing the envelope by late 1960’s TV standards, but Laugh-In was the #1 rated show for two seasons (1968-1970).

The Greasers from Francis Ford Coppola's "The Outsiders" (1983)

Francis Ford Coppola's solid adaptation of S.E. Hinton's novel about Sixties greasers is a landmark in the Chronicle of Eighties Hunkdom: Alongside stars C. Thomas Howell, Matt Dillon, and Ralph Macchio, it also featured a supporting cast of newcomers such as Rob Lowe, Patrick Swayze, Emilio Estevez, and Tom Cruise.

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28 Wonderful Color Photographs Capture Everyday Life in the U.S. From the 1950s

Historians use the word “boom” to describe a lot of things about the 1950s: the booming economy, the booming suburbs and most of all the so-called “baby boom.” This boom began in 1946, when a record number of babies–3.4 million–were born in the United States. About 4 million babies were born each year during the 1950s. In all, by the time the boom finally tapered off in 1964, there were almost 77 million “baby boomers.”

After World War II ended, many Americans were eager to have children because they were confident that the future held nothing but peace and prosperity. In many ways, they were right. Between 1945 and 1960, the gross national product more than doubled, growing from $200 billion to more than $500 billion. Much of this increase came from government spending: The construction of interstate highways and schools, the distribution of veterans’ benefits and most of all the increase in military spending–on goods like airplanes and new technologies like computers–all contributed to the decade’s economic growth. Rates of unemployment and inflation were low, and wages were high. Middle-class people had more money to spend than ever–and, because the variety and availability of consumer goods expanded along with the economy, they also had more things to buy.

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