The Pinsetter and the Elevator Operator

In early bowling alleys, the pins didn't reset themselves.

Pinsetters, often teenage boys, worked at the far end of the lane, clearing fallen pins and setting them back up by hand.

Automatic pinsetting machines took over in the 1950s.

Elevator operators were another familiar sight, running elevators in department stores and office buildings until push-button controls made the job unnecessary in most places.