William Hook

Happy Birthday William Hook!! William Hook was born in 1777, in Salisbury Massachusetts and a member of the famed Salem Cabinet-maker Society. His sons Elias and George went on to become organ builders in Salem. Hook's Chest, of bird’s eye maple and mahogany is one of his few pieces remaining. Note the distinctive curving front legs with ball. The use of two types of wood sets up a nice contrast in the details. This contrast is also evident in the Sideboard. The legs are referred to as “reeded” (the vertical grooves). As I researched this artist, I ran across a reference to the close bond cabinetmakers and shipbuilders during this time period. The ships had beautiful wood carving, requiring great skill. This skill was sometimes transferred to cabinetmaking and vice versa. Of course Salem was a shipbuilding town since the early 1600’s.