Tom Faulkner: A Portrait of Stories
In the 1950s and 60s, Tom Faulkner documented everyday life in Settle, capturing ordinary moments and landmark events with warmth and attention. His photographs of the town’s 1953 Coronation celebrations form a rare and vivid record of community life in the Yorkshire Dales.
In 2018, Settle Stories delivered Tom Faulkner: A Portrait of Stories, a Young Roots project supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Using Tom’s photographs as a starting point, the project invited young people to explore photography, memory and storytelling, and to reflect on how heritage is preserved and passed on.
At the heart of the project was RE…, an exhibition in three parts. RE…TURNED shared Tom Faulkner’s original 1953 photo album, RE…MEMBERED brought together memories from local people who recognised themselves in the images, and RE…IMAGINED showcased new work by students from QES and QEStudio School exploring archives, truth and image-making.
As part of the project, Tom Faulkner’s coronation album was digitised by North Yorkshire County Archives, with a facsimile created to allow visitors to explore the photographs safely. The project celebrated photography not just as a record of the past, but as a living spark for conversation, creativity and connection across generations.
This project was made possible with support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
