JF Ptak Science Books Post 1103
Its interesting to see what jobs have survived over the years, and what jobs haven't--particularly those jobs that would have been so widespread and popular that they would be instantly recognized by a child--so much part of the common culture that the initial letter of the job's name could be used to help children learn the alphabet.
In this version of commonplace employment found in a child's alphabetical primer of ca. 1850, lists the following professions, most of which are still available for hire: ale brewer (especially here in Asheville, Beer City USA);auctioneer, armourer, artist, bookseller, butcher, baker, cooper, carpenter, cutler, dyer, dairyman, engraver, engineer, fishmonger, fiddle(r), florist, grocer, glazier, hatter, hawker, horse dealer, ironmonger, jeweller, knife-maker, knitter, letter-founder, lace-maker, locksmith, milliner, miner, merchant, nurse, newsman, oilman, optician, omnibus, pastry-cook, physician, rope-maker, rider, shoemaker, shipwright, scavenger, slater, surgeon, sawyer, saddler, tailor, turner, tanner, tinker, upholsterer, vintner, wharfinger, wax-chandler, yeoman, youth, zoologist.
continued below with FULL ALPHABET:
Some of these professions are just gone, basically, except for the rare occasion: armourer, coopers, letter-founder, ropemaker, linen draper, optician (as in traveling magic lantern entertainer, though there are still a few around) and wax-chandler serve as examples.
A little further up the ladder of survival and in the"still findable" department are the cutler (and I use this profession as an example here because I pass a large cutler's shop on my way to Kinkos here, just a thousand yards or so south of a large nuts and bolts manufacturer), knife maker, shipwright, slater.and wax chandler.
Everything else seems more or less intact--some under different and more recognizable names, but professions that you could go work at today. That means 47 of the 59 professions listed from 1850 are still around; 53 are still there if you grant a far amount of leeway...and only 7 that are pretty much defunct.
There were no "X" professions by name--that would take at least until 1895 and Wilhelm Roentgen, unless you include xylophone players (or makers).
The original of this work is quite small--it is only about five inches tall and displays three letters of the alphabet per page--the enlargements of the woodcuts below reveal some interesting detail in the work environments.
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