Sideboard
William Hook
(American, 1777–1867)
about 1808
Object PlaceSalem, Massachusetts, United States
Medium/TechniqueMahogany, mahogany veneer, pine, birch, satinwood veneer, another exotic wood veneer, rosewood veneer
Dimensions106 x 121.9 x 61 cm (41 3/4 x 48 x 24 in.)
Credit LineBequest of Mrs. Mabel H. F. McInnes
Accession number38.67
On View
On viewClassificationsFurniture
Collections
Americans sought to reflect their increased gentility and refinement not only in their possessions and manners, but also in the way they used their homes. The concept of a "dining room" dedicated to eating became common among those who could afford it as did specialized furniture associated with dining. Sideboards-cabinets with broad tops for the display of food or silver-were popular, as were knife boxes and the cellarettes used to store beverages during a meal.
ProvenanceMade in 1808/09 by Willam Hook as a wedding present to his sister Hannah, who married Peter Folsom on August 17, 1809. This sideboard is part of a group of objects made for the wedding (see also 39.556, 55.379, 39.555, and 39.557); it descended in the Folsom family and was lent by Hook's grandniece, Mrs. Edwin G. McInnes (born Mabel H. Folsom), and bequeathed by her to the Museum in 1938.
