1869-1969, undated
85M-01-314-Z-F-0306
GUSN-381084
This collection is comprised of business records, ephemera, and photographs related to the operations of Boston-based organ making firm Hook & Hastings Company. The materials primarily date between 1869 and 1931, with addition correspondence related to the collections donation dating to the 1950s and 1960s. Items of note include two early 20th century Hook & Hastings catalogs and several dozen photographs of Hook & Hastings organs (primarily 19th century images). Of particular interest is a company record book in which nearly every organ the company built is listed alphabetically by location. While the record book was begun in 1885, it lists the location, building/venue, production number, installation date, and other specifications of Hook & Hastings organs dating from 1829 to 1920. The record books exact creator(s) is unidentified.
advertisements
business records
churches (buildings)
correspondence
ephemera
musical instruments
organs (aerophones)
photographs
piano organs
trade catalogs
business records
0.42 linear feet (1 legal-size document case)
An electronic finding aid is available through Historic New Englands Collections Access Portal. A paper finding aid is available in the Library and Archives.
Materials donated to SPNEA in 1955 by Anna Hall, niece of Frank H. Hastings.
CC007
Hook & Hastings Company collection
1955
CC007
Collection of business records, photographs, and ephemera from Boston-based organ-making company Hook & Hastings, dating between 1869 and 1969.
Gift
Boston (Suffolk county, Massachusetts)
Kendal Green (Weston, Middlesex county, Massachusetts) [neighborhood]
Hook & Hastings Company
business records
Hastings, Francis H., 1836-1916
Hook, Elias, 1805-1881
Hook, George, 1807-1880
Hook & Hastings Company
Organ Historical Society
This collection is available for research.
The following conservation and preservation activities have been completed on this collection: The entire collection has been rehoused.
Collection
85M-01-314-Z-F-0306
Accruals are not expected.
Materials are in English.
Item identification. Folder #. Hook & Hastings Company collection (CC007). Historic New England, Library and Archives.
Sophia Cos, Assistant Archivist, January 2025.
2nd-edition DACS
Billhead for Hook & Hastings Co., Dr., church organs, Kendal Green, Mass., dated November 14, 1919
Billhead for Hook & Hastings Co., Dr., church organs, Kendal Green, Mass., dated August 21, 1920
Pianos and organs
Salem-born brothers Elias (1805-1881) and George (1807-1880) Hook founded their organ-building company in 1827. The firm moved from Salem to Boston in 1832 and began constructing larger organs geared towards a national customer base. In 1845, the brothers built their first concert hall organ for Bostons Tremont Temple. Francis "Frank" Hastings (1836-1916), a former apprentice at the firm, was promoted to partner in 1865; the companys name was formally changed to Hook & Hastings Company in 1871. The company continued to construct organs of all sizes and varieties for churches and concert venues across the United States and was regarded as a leader in the field. Frank Hastings took full control of the company after the deaths of the Hook Brothers in 1880 and 1881. Production heavily increased, and the firm produced 1,000 organs between 1880 and 1903. However, competition from other builders increased at the turn of the 20th century and Hook & Hastings production declined following Hastings death in 1916. The firm continued building, albeit at a much slower pace, until it closed in 1936. The Hook & Hastings Company produced over 2,500 organs over its nearly 110-year history.
Bishop, J. (2006). Hook (and Hook; Hook and Hastings). In D. E. Bush (ed.), The Organ: An Encyclopedia (pp. 258-260). Routledge.
General industry collection, Waltham Public Library, Waltham, Mass.
Hook & Hastings Collection, 1827-1935, Organ Historical Society Library and Archives, Villanova, Penn.
Hook and Hastings Company Records, MSS 346. Phillips Library, Peabody Essex Museum, Rowley, Mass.
Hook Family Papers, MSS 342. Phillips Library, Peabody Essex Museum, Rowley, Mass.
The collection is arranged chronologically.
Historic New England is committed to implementing reparative language description for existing collections and creating respectful and inclusive language description for new collections. If you encounter language in Historic England's Collections Access Portal that is harmful or offensive, or you find materials that would benefit from a content warning, please contact info@historicnewengland.org.
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