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19 Amazing Vintage Photos That Show How People Worked Before AutoCAD
We here at Bored Panda really love finding some interesting facts from our past, preferably together with some vintage photos to illustrate them. This time we’d like to share with you how an essential profession – the drafting technician – looked like before computers began their reign. A drafting technician may work in many spheres – from architecture to manufacturing and is responsible for engineering drafts, architecture drawings, and house plans. To put it simply – no structure is ever built without them.
Technological advances cause some professions to cease to exist, but in the case of drafting technicians, it just made their desks smaller and tidier. AutoCAD was released in 1982, and by 1994 as many as 750 training centers had been using it worldwide. Before, drafting required pencils, erasers, t-squares, and much more time. And the photos below really show it. Looking at them, you can almost hear the rustling paper. Now, architecture design, electrical and other drafters are mainly clicking their mouse and keyboard.
Scroll down to check out what the old days were like. As the saying goes – the more you know, the less you need!
(h/t dyt, vintageeveryday)
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Some professionals instantly related to the rarely seen pictures
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Bob Beltcher 6 years ago
My father worked as a draftsman as a subcontractor for NASA in Houston. I remember spending the summers helping him organize D and E size paper. When I was a freshman in high school I took a draftsman course and designed my own house. 20 years later I still have my finished blue prints which I scored a 99 on (chimney was off a foot on the plot plan). I will build that house one day.
Natalie C 6 years ago
I've been a graphic designer for almost 40 years and that's how we use to work. Lots of changes since then, but the most life-changing thing is that now it is super expensive to ply my trade. Use to be I just needed an exacto blade and a few pens and pencils. Nowadays, my equipment and programs are expensive and need to be constantly upgraded.
Mark Grudzinski 6 years ago
I hear you! I miss the craft aspect of design... working with my hands and not having to rely on the latest software.
Load More Replies...
cpd228 6 years ago
I started out as a draftsman in Oak Ridge, TN in 1969 and was proud to have worked on the Apollo Lunar Sample Return Container (Moon Box) which was designed and built at my plant. I got to watch the evolution of drafting well past what is shown in the photos. Hand drawing was a craft and I admired so many older co-workers and their skills. Fond memories!
Bob Beltcher 6 years ago
My father worked as a draftsman as a subcontractor for NASA in Houston. I remember spending the summers helping him organize D and E size paper. When I was a freshman in high school I took a draftsman course and designed my own house. 20 years later I still have my finished blue prints which I scored a 99 on (chimney was off a foot on the plot plan). I will build that house one day.
Natalie C 6 years ago
I've been a graphic designer for almost 40 years and that's how we use to work. Lots of changes since then, but the most life-changing thing is that now it is super expensive to ply my trade. Use to be I just needed an exacto blade and a few pens and pencils. Nowadays, my equipment and programs are expensive and need to be constantly upgraded.
Mark Grudzinski 6 years ago
I hear you! I miss the craft aspect of design... working with my hands and not having to rely on the latest software.
Load More Replies... cpd228 6 years ago
I started out as a draftsman in Oak Ridge, TN in 1969 and was proud to have worked on the Apollo Lunar Sample Return Container (Moon Box) which was designed and built at my plant. I got to watch the evolution of drafting well past what is shown in the photos. Hand drawing was a craft and I admired so many older co-workers and their skills. Fond memories!
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