Square piano
Maker
Chickering & Mackays
Date1839
Place MadeBoston, Massachusetts, United States, North America
ModelScale CF-7
Serial No.3987
SignedWritten on a rectangular gold ground at the center of the nameboard:CHICKERING & MACKAYS
No. 334 WASHINGTON ST.
BOSTON.
MarkingsStamped at the bass end of the block over the front edge of the wrest plank; stamped on the front edge of the interior; behind the nameboard; written in pencil on the f4 key; written in pencil in large numerals on the bottom board under the keyboard: 3987
Written in ink on the bass side of the FF hammer head: C / 318
Also, C on the treble side of the same head.
Stamped on the front edge of the lid: 2146
Stamped on the top of the pedal lyre: 195
DescriptionThis 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 legs.
DimensionsLength (molding excluded): 1820 mm
Width (molding excluded): 730 mm
Height of case: 295 mm
Keyboard 3-octave measure: 482 mm
String lengths (front string of bichord pairs):
F4 56 mm
C4 73 mm
C3 148 mm
C2 297 mm
C1 598 mm
C 1064 mm
C 1354 mm
FF 1486 mm
ProvenancePreviously owned by Peter Jensen, Moorestown, New Jersey.
Credit LineGift of Peter Jensen, 2013
Object number14768
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