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12
THE 7VTUSIO TRKDE
REVIEW
Four Score Years of Chickering.
He became associated later scale by giving the hammer a lateral increase
with James Stewart, who was of space, permitting the greatest possible
reputed at that time fo be the freedom to the working of the hammers, and
best expert piano maker in rendering overstnnging an easy matter.
America.
Most interesting are Mr. Chickering's re-
It was in 1829 when he be- marks in his official specifications and claims
came associated with Captain in regard to his plate for grands, which led
John Mackay, who had pre- directly to the overstrung grands of the pres-
viously carried on the business ent day. He says: "Patent No. 3,238 hav-
of piano making with Alpheus ing thus set forth my improvement, I wish
Babcock, a noted piano mak- it understood that I am aware that the strings
er of those days. An illustra- of a pianoforte, in their passage from the
tion showing the old factory hitch-pins to the straining screws, have been
of Chickering & Mackay ap- passed through holes made through a pin
pears in connection with this screwed in a block, and from said pin bent
article.
or inclined upward to the straining screw-,
The reputation of the Chick- and therefore I do not claim such an arrange-
ering product grew rapidly ment as mine. But, what I do claim consists
apace, and in 1830 the factory in this improvement, viz., that of supporting
produced over seven hundred the strings by passing them through a solid
pianos, an astonishing output ledge cast directly upon the lower part of the
inclined front plate, through apertures of
for those early days.
Jonas Chickering has been which ledge the strings are to be passed in
called "the father of the piano the manner set forth ; the tone being, there-
industry," and he was uncon- fore, in the treble, greatly augmented and
trovertibly the first to cut aloof improved. I also clairn my particular method
from the old traditions in not of constructing the metallic frame of the
only methods of case building, grand pianoforte." Mr. Chickering here re-
but in the association of metal ferred to the agraffes, which were introduced
JONAS CHICKERING.
with piano building, which by the French piano-maker Erard about the
was the means of securing a year 1808. The original principle was im-
TP H E eightieth anniversary of the found-
greater volume of tone without the loss of proved upon by Mr. Chickering, who cast
ing of the distinguished house of Chick-
quality.
the agraffes in the plate.
ering & Sons was celebrated in a dignified
Jonas Chickering's fame as an inventor
Notwithstanding the vast scope and ex-
way last Tuesday evening in Chickering rests upon his inventions of the square metal
tent
of his labors, Mr. Chickering found time
Hall in Boston.
plate, with improved damper attachment, pat- to interest himself in the progress of mu-
Eighty years of Chickering!
ented 1840; the plate for grands, made in
What a world of meaning in that sentence, one solid casting, patented 1843; the up- sical art in Boston. In 1834 he was elected
and what wondrous changes have occurred right piano with full iron frame and over- vice-president of the Handel & Haydn Soci-
in the industry since Jonas Chickering flung strung bass, made in 1850, and the circular ety of that city, and afterwards occupied the
his business banner to the breezes in April, scale, produced in 1853. Previously, in 1837, presidential chair of that organization, and
was in many ways especially identified with
1823!
he had produced the first iron frame of a
Like many other men who have won prom- square piano. This first iron frame, as all its success.
What this house has done for music can
inence in the world, Jonas Chickering came the musical world is aware, marked, with the
not
be lightly estimated. Jonas Chickering
from the country, from a little New Hamp- introduction of the circular scale, the com-
and
his three sons were all in turn closely
shire village, and was apprenticed in his sev- mencement of the most important epoch in
identified
with the best musical interests of
enteenth year to a cabinet maker. The fol- the history of piano manufacture. All the
that
city.
lowing story will show how one episode had marvelous developments which have taken
For a house to have endured for four score
its effect upon his entire career:
place in the construction of pianos during
years
makes it certainly worthy of admir-
During the war of 1812 a gentleman named the past forty or fifty years were made possi-
ation
on
account of its longevity, but in the
Barrett had temporarily quit Boston for fear ble by these inventions.
case
of
the
Chickering house it dates back-
of a bombardment by the British.
The evolution of the iron frame merits
to
tl\e
founding
of the great industry, and
He had with him a piano manufactured by special mention. It appears that previous to
has
stood
during
all the intervening years
Christifor (ianer, an instrument which, it is 1825, a kind of iron compensating frame had
not
only
for
mechanical
advance, but for art
said, at that time had been in the possession been invented by a Russian, whose name
advance,
for
the
name
of
Chickering is in-
of Princess Amelia, daughter of George III. does not transpire. Alpheus Babcock, then in
delibly
associated
with
all
that
is highest and
The piano needed repair, and the young business in Philadelphia, got hold of the idea
best
in
musico-industrial
affairs.
cabinet maker, Chickering, was called in, and and patented, in 1825, the cast iron metal
The early industrial germ planted by Jonas
ring.
completed its restoration.
This invention however, served no more
He remarked at the time: "I think I could
make a piano," and when he went back to his useful purpose than to set Jonas Chickering
work of cabinet making it was with his mind thinking and experimenting, with the result
that, as we have said, in 1837 he made the
filled as to possibilities in piano making.
It seems a trivial point, but it was that one first successful application of an entire iron
point and the compliments that he received frame to a square piano. Subsequently he
for his work that undoubtedly caused Jonas improved and added to the invention, in 1849
Chickering to concentrate his energies upon patenting the addition of a cast-iron bridge,
and damper socket-rail—all cast in one piece
piano making.
Young Chickering absorbed knowledge with the frame.
rapidly and in 1822 began experimenting on
Jonas Chickering's invention of the circu-
his own account, offering his first piano for lar scale, i.e., a scale drawn on the arc of a
I'llIST UUCKERJNC J'JANO.
circle or ellipse, superseded the old straight
sale in 1823.