BostonZest readers have shown their interest in James Hook & Company by their response to the articles we've run since the fire. When we learned about a very special collection of photographs of James Hook taken before the fire, we were sure you would want to know about it.
We're honored to have been given permission to republish the following article from one of the area's most-valuable resources, Historic New England.
Photo: Ed Hook in his office, surrounded by company memorabilia (© 2008 Justin Goodstein-Aue all rights reserved)
Preserved on Film
by Lorna Condon
Curator of Library and Archives, Historic New England
Justin
Goodstein-Aue has spent much of the past year documenting the daily
life of the James Hook Lobster Company, a family business founded in
1925 and located on Boston’s waterfront in the heart of the financial
district. Goodstein-Aue uses a large-format view camera that captures
incredible detail. Visiting the business two or three times a week, he
observed a special dynamic between the large family of proprietors and
their employees.His images are filled with atmosphere, showing people
at work, details like a crowded desktop or a row of keys on hooks,
steam rising from the holding tanks, and vivid portraits of the men.
After the terrible fire last May that destroyed much of the Hook
Company, these photographs are poignant reminders of a beloved city
landmark.
Aware of the Historic New England’s important collection
of nineteenth-and twentieth-century documentary photographs,
Goodstein-Aue recently visited the Library and Archives and showed us
some of his images. I and my colleagues immediately recognized the
quality of his work and its value as a record of a business that has
been an important part of the city’s character. Goodstein-Aue has
generously donated a portfolio of twenty photographs to the Library and
Archives and will continue to document the company as it rebuilds.
© 2008 Historic New England/SPNEA, reprinted from © 2008 Historic New England/SPNEA, reprinted from Fall 2008 Historic New England magazine. Photography copyright Justin Goodstein-Aue. No part of this article may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without permission from Historic New England.
Details:
We highly recommend membership in Historic New England. Their properties, collections, programs, publications, and services make their membership fee a great value. You can see the collection by appointment.
Historic New England
9:30a.m.-4:45p.m. Call (617) 227-3957, ext. 225 or 226
141 Cambridge Street, Boston MA 02114-2702
Library and Archives - By appointment, Wednesday through Friday
Fee is $5; students $3; Historic New England/SPNEA members free
James Hook & Company - is ready to take your holiday orders for lobsters and seafood from their temporary retail facilities at the old location.
15 Northern Avenue, Boston MA
www.jameshooklobster.com
