These are illustrations from the 1941 book ‘The Seasons and the Woodman’, a children’s book by D.H. Chapman which describes trees and the work that happens in woodlands through the seasons. The illustrations are by Charles Tunnicliffe. They show double-handed saws being used to fell trees and mill planks, standing timber being measured for sale, and woodland flora and fauna. They also show work such as hurdle-making that is still being done by hand.
Recommended listening to go with these images: Alan Garner reading his short story The Common Dean, set in woodland near Cheshire with sounds from the woodland. Part of the Forest Fables series of podcasts produced by The Woodland Trust and The Guardian, it’s beautifully evocative.