A “Human Radio” Entertaining Cigar Factory Workers
Decades before radio broadcasting entered its golden age in the ’20s; people had to entertain themselves in other ways. Cigar factories, for example, opted to hire “human radios” or lectors to read newspapers and popular books to workers while they toiled over their delicate work for hours.
According to a Mashable article, this practice originated from factories in Havana, Cuba, in the 1860s. The readers were picked through an audition process and paid through workers’ pooled contributions. And despite the accessibility of TV and radio sets, the tradition continues in Cuban cigar factories until today.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login