Images of Life, Change & Beauty: Photographs, Poetry & Art - Selections from the works of Fran Dalton, Newburyport, Massachusetts

This selection of photographs were taken by Fran Dalton, principally in Newburyport, Massachusetts, beginning in the 1960s during a time of great change. Along with a sprinkling of her poems and artwork they invite the reader to reflect on the importance of having a sense of connection to place, neighbors, and strangers alike, to nature, and to one’s true self. The story, in her own words, of her transition in the mid-1980s, at the age of fifty-eight, from the male she was thought to be at birth to the female she, in truth, was provides an opportunity for the reader to gain an appreciation for an extraordinary human being.  

Frank and Colleen Stiriti, upon their retirement in 2019, relocated to Newburyport, Massachusetts. For Colleen, it was a return to the city that she grew up in. Their goal was to have a book of Fran Dalton’s photographs published. Never having been involved in such an endeavor, they were fortunate to receive guidance from many in the community. This support, along with Frank’s background in the printing industry and Colleen’s attention to detail and organizational skills, enabled them to compile this sampling of Fran’s collection of works.