LEWISTON — Author Dyke Hendrickson will speak about his new book, “Franco-Americans of Maine,” at 11:30 a.m. Friday, July 2, at the Franco-American Heritage Center. The publication contains more than 200 photos, about half of which come from Lewiston.

Hendrickson is a career journalist with a love of history. He started his career with the Biddeford-Saco Journal and later worked at the Portland Press Herald. While in Portland, he wrote a long series on Maine’s Franco-Americans, which was recognized by the Maine Press Association in its “best feature story” category.

The positive response led to a book, “Quiet Presence: Stories of Franco-Americans in New England” (Gannett Press, Portland, 1980). A portion of “Quiet Presence” is excerpted at the Museum of National Heritage at Ellis Island, N.Y.

Hendrickson went on to write for the New Orleans Times-Picayune and the Boston Herald, and, in recent years, was a technology columnist for Mass High Tech and the Boston Business Journal.

The author has always maintained an interest in the history of the French Canadian. In recent years, he sifted through materials at libraries, museums and private collections from Kittery to Fort Kent to identify compelling photos for “Franco-Americans of Maine.”

“They say that a picture is worth 1000 words and in ‘Franco-Americans in Maine’ we have more than 200 photos that provide a graphic portrayal of the lives of the people who helped build the state of Maine. The book focuses on the family and church life as well as their work. I think this book will stand as a valuable historical tool,” Hendrickson said.

Hendrickson was a history major at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa., and did graduate work in public administration at the University of Maine. He is a former lecturer in journalism at Northeastern University in Boston. He is also author of a novel, “Last Night in Hollywood” (New Sharon Press, Portland, 2004.)