Heathrow’s longest serving resident photographer Dennis Stone is to be honoured with a key to the airport, giving him the freedom of the terminals to mark an astounding 64-year tenure.
In a career that has spanned seven decades, Dennis has captured the travels of some of the world’s greatest stars including Frank Sinatra, Goldie Hawn, Princess Diana and the Beatles.
To mark Dennis' contribution to life at Heathrow, the airport is to publish a unique collection of Dennis’s iconic images and give 5,000 copies to passengers. Entitled 'A Life At The Airport: A Heathrow Photographer’ the book features Dennis' favourite photographs and insights into the stars he has met along the way.
78-year old Dennis started working at Heathrow as a messenger boy aged 14 and continues to work three days a week, dedicatedly documenting the many personalities that fly through the airport each year. His pictures are regularly featured in the national newspapers and he also appeared in the BBC television series Airport, with the early programmes being written around his activities as the ‘grandfather’ of celebrity photography.
Underlining Dennis's unfailing professionalism and charm, many actors and musicians count the veteran photographer as a friend, with Joan Collins including Dennis on her Christmas card list.
Dennis Stone comments: “I feel very fortunate to have worked at Heathrow for the past 64 years carrying out a job I see less as work and more as a passion. I have made many good friends here and been privy to a world that has allowed me to capture unique moments and events. I am often asked about my job and the people I have met along the way, so it is an honour that my stories and photographs are to be preserved and shared with passengers.”
Colin Matthews, Heathrow’s CEO comments: “These days it is unusual to work in one place for 20 years let alone 64. Dennis has witnessed phenomenal advances in aviation and has photographed Heathrow's transformation from a small airfield to one of the world's busiest hubs for global connections. There have been thousands of notable events, but surely it is the personalities travelling through Heathrow every day which have provided such a rich source of images and emotions.
“The 'Key to Heathrow' is a sign of our appreciation for Dennis' work and a celebration of his long and loyal tenure. The book is a tangible legacy of a fascinating career and we hope our passengers will get as much pleasure from reading the book as we have had working with Dennis to produce it.”
5,000 exclusive copies of A Life At The Airport: A Heathrow Photographer will be handed out to passengers passing through Heathrow from Friday 6th August. A month-long exhibition of Dennis’ work will also be displayed in Terminal 5 Departures.
