In his pictures Anderson sought to record manual tasks and ways of rural life that were thought to be in danger of vanishing. Among the skills represented are thatching, tree felling and rake- and basket-making. Many of the craftspeople featured in the prints have been identified and the collection at the Museum of English Rural Life includes tools that belonged to them. Anderson's pictures now provide handsome illustrations for the ways in which these tools were used.

Provenance

Works purchased directly from the artist by the parents of the present owner