Frank A. Waugh visited London’s Epping Forest where he enjoyed photographing and sketching oaks, birches, and beeches in the summer of 1936, perhaps for his last time. He used his photographs and drawings sometimes to compose etchings he would create later in his home studio. His etching, Pollard Oaks, dates from September of 1936. With his work as a consultant to the U. S. Forest Service, Waugh would have been interested in Eppings’s rich forest management history and practices. There the techniques of lopping, cutting, pollarding and coppicing evolved from the 12th century. On the land Verderers or Commoners could graze their cattle and gather wood to use for fuel, emphasizing very practical uses of the forest.
In his portraits of trees Waugh wanted people to appreciate trees, especially for their beauty. But the roots of their practical values were never lost on him. For more background about forest management techniques at Epping Forest visit:
https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/things-to-do/green-spaces/epping-forest/how-we-manage-epping-forest
