Four drawings showing the manufacture of saws 19th century

This undated sheet presents four drawings showing the manufacture of saws, made by an anonymous artist. These drawings offer a glimpse into the labor and industry of an era, likely the 18th or 19th century, when the production of tools was undergoing significant change. The sketches depict the various stages involved in saw making, from grinding and cutting to the more refined process of shaping and finishing. The workers, rendered with simple yet evocative lines, stand as representations of the working class, their labor contributing to the burgeoning industrial landscape. The artist captures not just the physical actions but hints at the social realities of labor. There is a sense of the personal within the broader context of industrial development. What were their individual stories? What were the conditions of the workshops? The drawings invite us to consider the people behind the tools, their skills, their lives, and their place in the narrative of progress.