Spinet piano
Trade Name
Chickering & Sons
Date1939 ca.
Place MadeUnited States, North America
ModelChickering spinet
Serial No.165917
SignedGold decal on nameboard: Chickering / EST'D. 1823 / BOSTON / U.S.A.Raised casting on plate at top center: [Chickering logo] EST. 1823
Cast into plate and painted black at right top: Chickering & Sons
Stamped in black ink on right side of plate at top: 165917MarkingsRaised number cast into plate at bottom: 53 3 28
Stamped in black ink on plate at top right: LINDEMANN PIANO TUNING / 1425 - 12th St. S. / Fargo, N. Dak. 58102 / Ph. 237-4404 TUNED / OCT 3 1972 / [written in black marker] 4-16-95 CRDescriptionChickering stencil. Chickering consolidated in 1908 under American Piano Co [Ampico] which itself was consolidated under the Aeolian- American Corp. in 1932, which bought out many companies at a time when quality was sacrificed. The name “Chickering” at that point was only for branding. Defunct in 1983 when Peter Perez, President of Steinway, purchased Aeolian-American two years before it went bankrupt in 1985.
By 1932, Aeolian was sitting at the top of all piano companies with more capital invested in the company than the rest of the entire piano industry at over $15 million. That same year, Aeolian merged with the American Piano Company to become the Aeolian American Corporation. Furthering their footprint as one of the largest piano and player piano producers in America, the Aeolian American Piano Company controlled many piano names still found today. [including Chickering]. See https://www.lindebladpiano.com/library/aeolian-and-aeolian-american-corporation. There, one can find a long list of pianos names that Aeolian-American produced, including "Chickering."
This particular spinet piano was sold through Lindemann Piano Tuning, 1425 12th St. S., Fargo, ND 58102. Its flat-top design was meant to echo that of a square piano of the 19th century.
AAA-c5 (88 notes)
Walnut veneered case
Ivory natural keys and ebony sharps.
Full plate with cross stringing
Drop-action
Dampers from AAA-e-flat3
3 pedals: left half blow, center damper lift from AAA-d, right full damper lift
30-note bass bridge, pinned upper termination section:
15 single copper-overspun basses from AAA-BB
15 double copper-overspun basses from CC-d
Treble bridge, pressure bar upper termination section:
4 copper-overspun doubles on treble bridge from e-flat-f-sharp
4 steel doubles on treble bridge from g-b-flat
b-c5 triples
All strings with single loops besides triples, which are doubled.
DimensionsHeight to floor: 959 mm (37-3/4")
Width: 1575 mm (62")
Depth: 635 mm (25")
Three octave measure: 492 mm
Length of natural key heads: 48 mm
Width of natural key heads: 22 mmProvenanceOriginally sold through Lindemann Piano Tuning, 1425 12th St. S., Fargo, ND 58102.
Credit LineGift of Jim and Anne Hagensen, 2020
Object number15585
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