15 Madrid jobs that no longer exist

From river launderettes and crucifix carpenters to streetlamp lighters and tinsmiths – in just the last few decades, countless jobs that had existed for centuries have disappeared.  Let’s take a glimpse of these lost trades and professions, because there’s a lot we can see in what no longer exists.

1. THE RIVERBANK LAUNDRY WORKERS

The city of Madrid, including the royal family, relied on thousands of riverbank laundry workers to wash their clothes. The Manzanares river was home to a strong community of dozens of generations of launderette businesses. They’d been there for centuries, but then disappeared very suddenly with the introduction of the domestic washing machine.

The buildings in this picture have been demolished, and all the steps that led down to the river are gone. The river bank has since been developed, leaving the only evidence of this scenic profession in photographs and stories.

The riverside laundry people (1915)

2. THE CHILDREN’S TUK TUK DRIVER

A novel way to do the school run for the little ones.

The children's rickshaw driver

3. THE CRUCIFIX MAKERS

Crucifixes are still made by hand, but no longer on such a scale as in the photograph below due to a fall in demand.

The crucifix makers (1939)

4. THE PLATFORM STATION MASTER

You can still see dozens of these small offices tucked into the curved walls of most station platforms. Once used to keep logs and to provide a comforting staff presence, they’ve been replaced by machines and security cameras.

The platform station master (Carabanchel, 1970)

5. THE WATER BOYS

After filling up these ceramic bottles (botijos) at the municipal fountains, the water boys could offer glasses of cool water to parched passersby.

The water boys

A botijo is a traditional Spanish container made of porous clay used to store and cool water. It works by the evaporative cooling method: the water inside filters through to the outside, where it evaporates and therefore cools the container. It’s even more effective at cooling water when placed in the sun because the sun’s heat increases the rate of evaporation – perfect on a hot Madrid summer’s day.

6. THE CABLE GIRLS

A powerful, female-only workforce, who at times were believed to doubled up as spies.

The telephone operators

7. THE MATCHSTICK LADY

What a tough life this old lady must have had to be relying on making a profit on a single matchstick.

The match seller (El Rastro, 1964)

8. THE STREET-SIDE BARBER

Street-side barbers were prevalent here until around the 1950s. Many elderly men today will remember getting their beard shaved on Gran Vía while hundreds of people walked past.

The street barber

9. THE BEER KIOSKERO

This should definitely still exist, but it would mean relaxing the law against botellón

The beer kioskero (1910)

10. THE ICE CHIPPERS

Definitely the coolest job in town.

The ice sellers

11. THE LAMPLIGHTERS

Made obsolete with the conversion of gas lamps to electric lamps, though many original gas lamps can still be found around Madrid, with bulbs instead of wicks.

The lamplighters

A team of lamplighters

12. THE TINSMITH

A tinsmith was a common trade before the industrial revolution. Typically a men’s job, the tinsmith specialised in making sheet-metal objects such as cutlery, cookie cutters, candle holders and tin roof tiles – the type that cats aren’t particularly fond of, especially on a hot day.

The tinsmith

13. THE PRAWN GUY

This photo was taken on Plaza Dos de Mayo in the 1950s. It must have taken ages to lay out all of those prawns – clearly someone who took pride in their job, if the dapper outfit wasn’t already a giveaway.

The prawn seller

14. THE STREET PERFORMER

People once paid a few pesetas to have a go at outweighing a real bear on a seesaw. How times have changed.

The bear entertainer

15. THE TRAM TRACK CLEANER

I wish this job still existed, because it would mean we’d have trams!

The tram track cleaner

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2 Comments

  • two more for your fabulous list: the “serenos”, night watchmen, who had keys to the downstairs doors of apartment buildings in their areas. You had to stand by your entrance and clap to notify them you needed them. and the neighborhood chamarileros, precursors to city hall recycling: they collected paper, bottles, even cans and old clothes, paying small amount by weight.

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