Shoe Shine

On my recent look around the Santa Fe Station in San Bernardino I noticed this relic from the near past.  Here, men and occasionally women, would climb up, grab a newspaper and have their shoes shined.  When I first came to New York in 1969, boys would run around the streets with little boxes to shine shoes.  You don't see that today.  I even knew of services that used to come to offices to perform the shine-up while business was being conducted.  I have no idea if this still happens.
But out in the world it's pretty much over now, although I have seen it done in airports.  Let's face it, so many people wear sneakers even with suits that there is no need for polishing.  I wonder if in another 1000 years one of these turns up in an archaeological dig, what the scientists will make of these strange seats?