John F. Hook was born August 17, 1920 in Spokane, Washington and grew up with his parents and three siblings in Valleyford, Washington. His father was a railroad conductor on a Milwaukee Road route between Coeur D'Alene, Idaho and Metaline Falls, Washington. After attending Whitworth College for two years, John earned his bachelor's degree in mathematics at the University of Washington and a master's degree in actuarial science at the University of Iowa. He went on to spend 30 years working as an actuary with Standard Insurance Company in Portland, Oregon. John married Laura Rodgers in 1948 in Portland. They had two children, Esther Louise and Joseph Rodgers Hook. In 1982 John retired from Standard Insurance Company and moved with Laura to Sequim, Washington, where he lived until his death on October 1, 1999.

John, Laura and their children were hikers, backpackers, skiers, and sailors. John took many pictures of their activities, travel, family and friends. During the 1970s, John became more interested in photography and began to print some of his own work at a commercial lab in Portland. During these years photography was an integral part of his life. He eventually switched from prints to slides, and compiled one Kodak carousel for each calendar year with additional carousels for special trips. Many pictures in the collection reflect John's interest in railroads and antique railroad equipment, in particular the Milwaukee Road in the Northwest.