List of Keyboards
Upright Piano by Chickering & Sons
This piano was owned by the famous actress Laura Keene, and was present in the Ford Theater on the day of Lincoln’s assassination
Photo Credit: Piano Technician's Guild
Grand Piano by Chickering & Sons
This piano was made by Chickering & Sons in Boston, Massachusetts in 1857. Chickering called this type of piano a “parlor grand,“ but today it has come to be known as a “cocked-hat grand” because its shape from above is like that of a cocked hat. The piano is serial number 17390 and has a compass of CCC-c5, Edwin Brown, leather and felt hammers, wound and plain steel strings with 1 or 2 strings per note, 2 pedals: una corda and damper lifter, an iron frame, straight-strung, and a rosewood veneer case
Credit: Smithsonian
Square Piano by Chickering, J
This square piano was made by Jonas Chickering in Boston, Massachusetts in 1832. During this period, Chickering received capitalization from John Mackay, a wealthy Boston shipping merchant, who assisted also in expanding Chickering’s markets both in America and elsewhere. This piano is serial number 1129 and has a compass of FF-f4, an English double action, leather hammers, double-strings throughout, 2 pedals: all dampers and upper dampers, an iron string plate frame, and a mahogany case
Credit: Smithsonian
Square Piano by Chickering, J
Chickering was the first American producer of grands, but pianos produced for domestic use including squares like this instrument as well as uprights far outsold the larger, more expensive models.
This square piano, like others of that name is rectangular in shape, and has a mahogany case with rosewood striping. It has four turned and fluted legs with brass casters. The damper pedal is mounted to a pedal lyre in the middle of the keyboard. The compass of the instrument is FF-c4 (68 keys) with ivory naturals and ebony accidentals. It has an English double action with backchecks and is double strung throughout. Credit: Met Museum
Square Piano by Chickering, J
Technical description: Rectangular plain rosewood veneer case with rounded corners and lid, with lid edges and bottom case molding beveled, on 4 straight tapered polygonal legs with cylindrical bases and casters, carved pedal lyre (possibly not original), full metal plate with 2 struts and 12-point star and foliate decoration cast in relief, the case at one time refinished and the damper pedal lever replace; compass: FF-f4 (73 keys), ivory naturals with plain wood fronts, ebony accidental blocks; 2 pedals, left shifting "piano" or mute stop (felt-tipped leather fingers between hammers and strings), right raising dampers; English double action with intermediate lever and backcheck, buckskin? covered hammers, screw adjustment for escapement regulation, curved hammer rail; crank dampers (top 20 notes undamped); lowest 7 notes single-strung, rest double strung, lowest 13 notes steel-wound, unwound strings marked on plate with gauge numbers 10-17. Credit (L. Libin 22 Dec 76.)
