Square Piano by Chickering & Mackays
Maker:
Chickering & Mackays
Year:
1839
Museum:
National Music Museum, North America
Date Range
1800-1850
Current Location:
[object Object]
Material:
Branch Mahogany
Painter:
Type:
Square Piano
This piano was completed on August 12, 1839 and shipped on August 20 to E. R. Johnston of Hartford, Connecticut, likely a dealer. It is described in the Chickering ledger as having square corners and "branch mahogany" (Information supplied by Greg Bennett of the Chickering Foundation, 2/2023)
Compass: FF-f4 (6 octaves).
Two pedals: dampers and treble dampers (from b-flat below c1).
Naturals covered in ivory; sharps ebony.
Standard English square-piano double action, but with checks and with hammer butts held by flanges screwed to the hammer rail. A small piece of lead or tin (or an alloy such as pewter) is held in a groove at the top of the wooden core of each hammer head. This is as described in John Mackay’s patent, originally issued on 14 August 1828 and reissued on 23 April 1839.
Bichord stringing, except for the lowest 13 notes, which have single covered strings. Cast-iron hitch-pin plate.
Case veneered in mahogany, crossbanded on the bottom molding. Keywell veneered in rosewood. Solid mahogany lid with mahogany crossbanding around the top surface. Four inverse-conical screw-on mahogany leg