The Worst Jobs in History

[sstormwatch]

It was mentioned on the GBACG mailing list about some interesting videos, called "The Worst Jobs in History" with Tony Robinson who was an actor on Black Adder.

The series covers a variety of time periods, and ranges from the Middle Ages to the modern eras. Each episode comes in several parts I guess to get them uploaded. What is nifty is that Tony talks to various people who are experts, some re-enactors of the various jobs, from barber surgeon to the textile expert, many in their period clothing.

Here's a sample of what I've watched so far.
Middle Ages (pt 2): Wise woman
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPgkfxuyBgM&feature=related

Middle Ages (pt 5): Fulling wool in stale urine
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwTn2e73QfQ&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8A7dC7xUwU&feature=related

Tudor Times:
Executioner & spitboy/turnbroch
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69B7DWEKANY&feature=related

Groom of the stool & gong farmer/scourer (ewww)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=va4vYnjqjfg&feature=related

boy actors (Shakespeare's Globe)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67wWc11UEMI&feature=related

Pin Maker (with discussion of pins by Jenny Tiramani) & woad dyers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xznkMDBG1S8&feature=related

woad dying into a fishwife, and how the fishwife is punished.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67wWc11UEMI&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFL9yNo8VJA&feature=related

There are other time periods, too... but that is as far as I got tonight. Definitely worth watching, but some you might need a strong stomach to not end up squirming.