They tend to have hooks rather than pins. Bluetack hadn't been invented and the Shubb capo was still some way off as were the self adhesive sticking plasters necessary to stem the inevitable bleeding from string end pricks; but, with practice, it is clearly possible, although unpleasant.

Much progress has been made since those days; i.e. geared tuners, d'addario strings, electronic tuners, sliced bread etc. etc. but nostalgia isn't necessarily what it used to be.