Chickering was established in 1823 by Jonas Chickering and James Stewart in Boston, Massachusetts. The partnership of the Stewart & Chickering firm dissolved a few years later. By 1830 Jonas Chickering became partners with John Mackay, manufacturing pianos as Chickering & Company, and later Chickering & Mackay until 1841. 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.
Chickering and Sons is a Boston-based piano manufacturing company which is known for their award-winning pianos and music instruments of topnotch quality.
The company experienced changes in ownership and manufacturing management throughout the years although never failing to produce high quality musical instrument that the company name is best associated with.
Company History
The company was founded in 1823 by Jonas Chickering and James Stewart. However, their partnership was dissolved four years later. In 1830, Chickering became partner with John Mackay under the name Chickering and Company and later changed to Chickering and Mackays until the death of senior Mackay in 1841.
Chickering Serial Number Search
The company was reorganized and renamed to Chickering and Sons in 1853 following the destruction of the company’s factory in December 1852 in a massive fire. The company became part of American Piano Company (Ampico) in 1908. Today, the name Chickering and Sons continues to be used as a piano brand under the Baldwin Piano Company, which bought the company’s assets and rights.
Recognition and Contribution to the Field of Piano Development Technology
The most notable contribution of Chickering and Sons piano manufacturing, to the development of piano technology, is their introduction of a one-piece cast iron plate to support the greater string tension of larger pianos.
Jonas Chickering also invented a new deflection of the strings and in 1845 the first convenient method for over stringing in square pianos. Instead of setting the strings side by side, the company introduced substituting an arrangement of the string in two banks, one over the other. This does not only save space but also brings the powerful bass strings directly over the most resonant part of the sound-board, the principle which completes to this day in the construction of all pianos, both grands and uprights.
In 1850, Henry Steinway (Steinweg), founder of Steinway and Sons pianos, showed interest and admiration to the Chickering piano after he saw the piano used during a musical tour in Boston.
In 1867, the brand received the Imperial Cross of the Legion of Honor, one of the world's most prestigious non-military awards, given by Emperor Napoleon III for services to the art of music. The honor was only one of more than 200 awards Chickering has received over the years.
Chickering Serial Numbers
Locate the age of your Chickering and Sons Piano within the chart found below:
1824 - 100
1825 - 316
1830 - 716
1835 - 1980
1840 - 4235
1845 - 6490
1850 - 10000
1855 - 15400
1860 - 22000
1865 - 27000
1870 - 35500
1875 - 46000
1880 - 55500
1885 - 70000
1890 - 78500
1895 - 85000
1900 - 93000
1905 - 105000
1910 - 115000
1915 - 124000
1920 - 132500
1925 - 139700
1930 - 148400
1935 - 155200
1940 - 167200
1947 - 187000
1950 - 195000
1955 - 204000
1960 - 212750
1965 - 221117
1970 - 230300
1975 - 237578
1981 - 247477
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The Chickering piano company was established in 1823 by Jonas Chickering and James Stewart. It was the first piano company in the United States. The factory was located on Tremont St. in Boston, MA. Chickering took painstaking care down to the smallest detail which assured the Chickering piano the place of honor in the first ranks at the World’s Fair in London in 1851. The Chickering factory burned in 1852 but a new better facility was built. Also, in 1852 Jonas brought his 3 sons into the company and the name became Chickering & Sons. Many piano companies have had family owners who were craftsmen that brought tradition and expert innvention throughout their history.
Jonas Chickering died in 1853 and the 3 sons Frank, Thomas & George continued with the business. Chickering had over 100 employee’s in different departments. Each person would have a specific task in which to specialize, enabling uniformity in the manufacturing process. Chickering was also the first exporter of American made pianos. In 1908 Chickering joined the American Piano Company due to the financial crises of the 1890’s but still continued to maintain the high quality of piano manufacturing it was known for.
Chickering And Sons Piano Serial Numbers
Here are some photos of a nice Chickering grand that we restored this year.