News Bertranges forest

The seventeenth postcard of the series “The Forest in Nivernais” depicts two men leaning against a hundred-year-old oak in the Forest of Bertranges. A travel view camera is laid in front of one of the two men enjoying the very last rays of autumn sunshine suitable for taking photographs.

The sixteenth postcard of the series “The Forest in Nivernais” depicts a logger in front of an oak logs cart ready to be skidded.

The fifteenth postcard of the series “The Forest in Nivernais” depicts two pitsawyers in the Forest of Bertranges. When Raoul Saulnier d’Anchald took this photography, there were still a lot of pitsawyers working in Nièvre. They had a special status among wood workers and are described by Michel Pigenet as a “labor aristocracy”.

The fourteenth postcard of the series “The Forest in Nivernais” depicts a hunter resting with four hunting dogs (three beagles and one Griffon Nivernais) in a clearing in the forest of Bertranges.

The thirteenth postcard of the series “The Forest in Nivernais” depicts a shepherd minding his flock grazing in the forest of Bertranges.

The twelfth postcard of the series “The Forest in Nivernais” depicts a coalman bagging coal after its combustion in charcoal kiln.

The Nièvre department was one of the main region for producing metal before being supplanted by Lorraine and Northern France steel-producing areas in the 19th century.

The tenth postcard of the series “The Forest in Nivernais” depicts a coalman erecting a charcoal kiln.

The ninth postcard of the series “The Forest in Nivernais” depicts a young boy drinking the water of a spring.

Etymologically, “loge” (lodge) comes from the Old Frankish word laubja (foliage hut). The lodge, precarious housing typical of the forest proletariat, was usually built by loggers or coal workers directly on the cutting areas.