This is so fascinating that the factory lector was/is a thing
The practice of reading aloud has a long history, and the tradition still survives in Cuba as a hard-won right deeply embedded in cigar factory workers’ culture. (El lector – paywall)
This article has some marvellous historical photos, really worth a look
user_name@lemmy.world 4 hours ago
The article is on JSTOR. If you are reading this comment and you live or work in Massachusetts you can get free JSTOR access. With more work (you have to go to a library) you can get free access if you live in New York State. If you live somewhere else, pick a library you know near you. You never know, sometimes even more municipal networks have access.