Until the first half of the 1950s, firewood vendors were among the most essential yet overlooked figures in the daily life of Tehran. In an era when modern energy sources such as kerosene, gas oil, and later piped gas had not yet become widespread, firewood was the primary and most reliable fuel for heating homes, cooking food, and sustaining daily household activities. The rhythm of life in Tehran during the late Qajar period and the early decades of the Pahlavi era was closely tied to the labor of these vendors, whose work connected rural woodlands to urban households.
For decades, especially during long and harsh winters, the survival and comfort of families depended on access to firewood. In every neighborhood, from affluent districts to working-class quarters, stacks of chopped wood stored in courtyards, basements, or rooftops symbolized preparedness against the cold. Behind these piles stood a network of woodcutters, transporters, sellers, and distributors whose profession formed a vital but physically demanding economic system.
