Setting a fractured leg. Woodcut from Veldt Boeck van den Chirugia Scheel-Hans by Hans van Gersdorff (Amsterdam, 1593). A Dutch translation of Gersdorff's book first published in Strasbourg, 1517, and containing woodcuts from the original edition.

Red Crosse Knight Slaying the Dragon Illustration from "The Fairie Queen" 1590 Edmund Spenser (1552-1599 British) Woodcut Print The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens, San Marino, California

Trephination: Using an elevator to remove piece of bone from the skull. Woodcut from Hans von Gersdorf Veldt Boeck van den Chirugia Scheel-Hans, Amsterdam 1593. Woodcut from 1517 Strasbourg edition

St. Vincent. Christian deacon from Saragossa, martyred under Diocletian c.304. Patron saint of drunkards and winegrowers. 19th century French coloured woodcut.

A sperm whale blowing near a sailing ship, Woodcut from Historia de gentibus septentriionalibus (History of the Northern People) by Olaus Magnus, first published 1555

Lycanthropy: Forest demon captured Germany 1531 and said to inhabit forests round Salzburg & Hamburg. Perhaps witch wearing uncured skin - primitive rite which could have given rise to were-wolf legend. Woodcut of 1669 from edition of Gesner ''Historiae animalum'''

Knight of Malta (or Knight Hospitaller), Order of St John of Jerusalem 16th Century Jost Amman (1539-1591 Swiss) Woodcut print

Plan of the island of Utopia. From Thomas Moore's work depicting an ideal state where reason ruled, Utopia 1518 (Ist edition 1516) Woodcut

Ballistics. Gunners calculating the elevation of a piece of artillery using a clinometer and a quadrant marked with shadow scales. From Architechtur .. Mathematischen .. Kunst by Gaultherius Rivius (Nuremberg, 1547). Woodcut.

Druids making human sacrifice to their gods, based on report by Julius Caesar. Druids, the priests, teachers and judges of Celts suppressed by Romans c50 AD. Woodcut 1832. Wicker Man

Virgin Mary as Queen of Heaven (top); Priest celebrating Mass (Eucharist. Communion) at bottom. French 19th century coloured woodcut

Person-to-person blood transfusion, c1833. In Reads method depicted here, blood from the donor is passed through a pumped and forced into recipients arm via a canula. From The British Cyclopaedia of Arts and Sciences, Charles Partington, 1833. Woodcut. ,

Cannon formed of iron staves hooped together and mounted on a primitive gun carriage. From "De re militari" by Roberto Valturio (Verona, 1472). Woodcut.

Elizabeth I (1533-1603) on the hunting field alights to perform the ceremony of assaying the stag, and is handed the knife by the huntsman. From George Turbevile or Turbeville "The Noble Art of Venerie" 1576. Woodcut

Flagellants. At time of Black Death in Europe, sect went through streets scourging themselves in attempt to take sins of population on themselves and save them from God's wrath manifested in form of plague. Woodcut 1493

Strabo (64 63BC-c21AD) Greek historian, geographer and philosopher From "Liber Chronicarum Mundi" (Nuremberg Chronicle) by Hartmann Schedel 1493, Woodcut

Urban II, Pope (1088-99) presiding over Council of Claremont of 1095 which launched the First Crusade. Woodcut from "Grand voyage de Hierusalem" 1522

Schoolboy having knowledge beaten into him with the birch, a scene familiar to schoolboys in Europe and Britain. Illustration for February from Les petites Heures a l'usage de Chartres, 1526. Woodcut

Conversion of St. Paul on the road to Damascus From "Liber Chronicarum Mundi" (Nuremberg Chronicle) by Hartmann Schedel 1493, Woodcut

Meriwether Lewis and William Clark holding a council with Indians at what became known as Council Bluffs, Iowa, 1804, woodcut illustration from the journal of expedition member Patrick Gass

The Revelation of St. John (Apocalypse) The Adoration of the Lamb and the Hymn of the Chosen Albrecht Durer (1471-1528 German) Woodcut, c.1498

View of fortified city with a Cog, a type sailing vessel. Watergate bottom right. From Liber Chronicarum Mundi, (Nuremberg Chronicle) by Hartmann Schedel, 1493, Woodcut

Saint Louis (Louis IX of France) on his first (the Sixth) crusade disembarking of Damietta (Nile Delta) which he captured in 1249. Saracen army at top right. Woodcut from "Grand voyage de Hierusalem" 1522

St. Margaret of Antioch (Greek - St Marina) 3rd century virgin martyr, standing on Devil in form of dragon. 19th century French coloured woodcut

Shepherd guarding his flock at night. Under his arm are his bagpipes. He has two dogs with spiked protective collars to help him guard his animals, but these are on leads while in the background a wolf is carrying off a lamb. Woodcut from early 16th century

St. Crispin and St. Crispian, Roman brothers. Went to Soissons, France, 303 to spread gospel and supported themselves by shoemaking. Patron saints of shoemakers. Tools of trade on side of carriage and on cloth on horse. 19th century French coloured woodcut.

Geocentric universe and the hierarchies of cherubims and seraphims, etc., leading to God, From Liber Chronicarum Mundi, (Nuremberg Chronicle) by Hartmann Schedel, 1493, Woodcut

Pikes and lances fitted with small fire tubes which, when lit, propelled the missiles towards the enemy. From "De la pirotechnia" by Vannoccio Biringuccio (Venice, 1540). Woodcut. Pyrothecnics. Incendiary

The Falconer. Woodcut from George Turbevile or Turbeville "Book of Faulconrie" 1611. Bird perched on gauntlet on man's wrist is still hooded.

Solon (c640-559 BC) Greek lawyer, poet and merchant From "Liber Chronicarum Mundi" (Nuremberg Chronicle) by Hartmann Schedel 1493, Woodcut

Diving bell supposed to have been used by Alexander the Great (356-323 BC). Woodcut from a 15th century edition of "The History of Alexander the Great".

Saint Louis (Louis IX of France) and his brothers Alphonse and Charles taken prisoner during the Sixth Crusade. Ransomed 1250. Woodcut of 1522

Witches destroying a house by fire - Swabia, 1533. Woodcut from Francesco Maria Guazzo Compendium Maleficarum, Milan, 1608, Engraving

Washing for tin. After digging out a substantial amount of material, the miners would alter the course of a stream. The flow of the water would wash away the light material, leaving behind the tin-bearing ore. From De re metallica, by Agricola, pseudonym of Georg Bauer (Basle, 1556). Woodcut.

John Wesley (1703-1791) English non-conformist preacher. Founder of Methodism. Wesley preaching in the open air Cornwall, England. Woodcut 1888.

Godfrey de Bouillon (c1060-1100) French crusader wearing the symbols of Christ's passion in his helmet during the First Crusade. Elected ruler of Jerusalem 1099. 15th century woodcut

Lucius Annaeus Seneca (The Younger) c5 BC-65 AD. Roman Stoic philosopher, committing suicide in his bath, having antagonised Nero From "Liber Chronicarum Mundi" (Nuremberg Chronicle) by Hartmann Schedel 1493, Woodcut

Relationship of organs of the body, the Humours and signs of Zodiac. From Gregor Reisch Margarita Philosophica Basle, 1508. Leo sole house of the Sun governs the heart - hence Lion Hearted. Hand-coloured woodcut

Selim I (1467-1520) Emperor of Turkey from 1512 attacking Persians under Esmai'il I or Isma'il (1487-1524) founder of Safavid dynasty, at Khoi, Azerbaijan. Woodcut

Ptolemy observing the stars with a quadrant, guided by Astronomy, From La Margarita Philosophica by Gregor Reisch, 1503, Artist Unknown, Woodcut

Overshot water wheel turning the cam-shaft of a stamping mill being used to turn the crush ore to begin the process of extracting metal from the ore won from a mine. From De re metallica, by Agricola, pseudonym of Georg Bauer (Basle, 1556). Woodcut

Dragon-shaped war machine on rollers wheels with a projectile spurting from its mouth From "De Re Militari" by Roberto Valturio Woodcut published Paris, 1534

Robert Armin (ca. 1568-1615) English Actor & Writer Artist Unknown Woodcut The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens, San Marino, CA

Ironfounder - Rotherham. Molten metal being poured into mould created by pattern pressed into damp sand. Hand-coloured woodcut, London, 1821

Comet of 1546 (Halley). At this appearance the comet was excommunicated by Pope Calixtus III. From Lycosthenes Prodigioum ac ostentorum chronicon Basle 1557. Woodcut

Venerable Bede (c.673-735) Anglo-Saxon theologian, scholar and historian; monk at Jarrow, Northumberland. Bede using writing slope, quill pen. Scissors, inkwell and candle at his side. Woodcut c1584