Step back into the past through the eyes of Paisley filmmaker
See Falconer‘s magnificent movie
Paisley people will have the chance to travel back in time to the town’s museum in the 1960s at a showing of movies by renowned filmmaker Falconer Houston.
Falconer, 84, is one of Paisley’s best-known filmmakers, but what is not so well known is that he made several previously unseen films for Paisley Museum and Paisley Central Library.
These tell an amazing story of life in the museum more than 50 years ago.
Falconer told the Paisley Daily Express: “I was born and lived for many years in the west end of Paisley.
“At that time, there were a lot of activities in the museum under the enthusiastic leadership of Cyril Rock, who was the curator then.
“There was a film show once a week and I often attended. Once I had finished my National Service, where I made my first film, I asked Mr Rock if I could make a film of the outstanding pottery collection in the museum.
“At that point he asked me if I would like to buy a camera, which I did, and over the next 25 years I made some 30 films for the museum, including the library service, and for the education authorities, which was part of my career as an art teacher.”
Falconer’s first film for the museum was made in 1962 or 1963.
He explained: “I had the camera with me at home for 30 years and I used it for making films for the museum.
“I made a film about the geology of Renfrewshire for the museum too.
“And I made the Tannahill film, which was entered into a competition.”
Falconer is thrilled that his films are going to be shown again after so many years, thanks to the archival work of Richard Weeks, who is responsible for film work at Paisley Museum. “I’m over the moon,” he said. “And they have been enriched in two pieces by commentary or music or both, and that really has made a great difference to them.
“Richard has done a power of work in making these films available to the public and, of course, making them into digital films which can be shown so easily.
“They are a record not only of the tremendous work of the museum but also of Paisley.”
The film is called Museum Memories and will be shown at 7pm tonight at Paisley Museum.
Admission is free and no ticket is required.