Watch Depression-era machinists and laborers forge and mill steel parts

When watching assembly line robots of today, it's easy to forget that gruelling repetitive work used to be done manually. This beautiful footage from 1936 shows the precision needed, and it's beautifully lit and shot in black and white.

Bonus video: a World War II-era instructional film for novice machinists.

Forgotten Master Craftsmen of Yesterday (YouTube / Documentary Tube)