Hidden Figures of Yorkshire, by Caitlin Pharoah. Will Jenkinson, Commercial Fisherman of Scarborough.
I attended the book launch of “Hidden Figures of Yorkshire” by Caitlin Pharoah on Friday 9 October 2026 at the Merchant Adventurers’ Hall in York. Caitlin includes 170 “producers and practitioners within their communities, from fishermen and farmers to cheesemakers, craftspeople and artists” from across Yorkshire.
This book follows “Hidden Figures of the South West” which Caitlin published in 2025, which was “a hardback book of 150 portraits and personal narratives, alongside exhibitions, talks and Hidden Figure Fayres”.
I was first contacted in December 2025 and Caitlin visited in April 2026 to do some videos and take pictures in our house and garden. Caitlin said that she had been at University in Leeds and she still has friends here and could stay with a friend when making visits to participants in the book.
The project is self funded and so purchases of books by participants, relatives and friends was crucial for the first print run. For further details about the projects and Caitlin’s photography see www.hummingbirdsphotography.com .
Mick Burton, continuous line artist, Leeds. “Hidden Figures of Yorkshire” by Caitlin Pharoah.
Biographical notes by Mick Burton about his Continuous Line Drawings. “Hidden Figures of Yorkshire” by Caitlin Pharoah.
Most of the participants have a QR code on their pages, where you can see videos and/or photographs produced by Caitlin. I reproduce mine here, so that you can have a look at one of the videos and photographs of some of my pictures. Just point a smartphone at the QR code and the link to YouTube will appear. Click on the link.
QR code for Mick Burton, Continuous Line Artist. Hidden Figures of Yorkshire, by Caitlin Pharoah.In this video,
I demonstrate how I can use the outline of a flying bird to prompt drawing key continuous line patterns in sections and then connecting them all up into one line.
The Merchant Adventurers’ Hall is a magnificent medieval building dating from about 1400. The Great Hall has twin high roofs.
Left hand, longest part of The Merchant Adventurers’ Great Hall with high roof. Mick Burton photo at Hidden Figures of Yorkshire book launch.
Right hand high roof within The Merchant Adventurers’ Great Hall in York. Mick Burton photo at “Hidden Figures of Yorkshire” book launch.
I was at this table next to Will Jenkinson in the centre of the picture. I asked what page he was on and he said page 272, not mentioning that he was the Commercial Fisherman from Scarborough on the front cover. On the right is Stephen Potts, Lead Miller at Holgate Windmill near York. On the left is Matt Curl from Harrogate, a beekeeper, bellringer and miller with Stephen.
Here is Caitlin, below, making a speech about the launch of her book.
Caitlin Pharoah making a speech welcoming us to the book launch of “Hidden Figures of Yorkshire”. Photo by Mick Burton, Continuous Line Artist.
It was a bit of an adventure finding the hall after parking in the Castle car park next to the Clifford Tower at dusk on a wet day with pools of water. At one point I went along a passage between and under houses in this medieval city which came out in Fossgate, where the Hall entrance is. On leaving, I was with someone who knew a shortcut along a path by the Fosse River, which had unlit stretches, but came out in the car park. It was poorly lit and hundreds of cars. I had to use my car key control to find the car. I could not see the car flashing but homed in on the opening and shutting clicks.
