Books › Ayars, Contributions to the Art of Music in America by the Music Industries of Boston (1937) — the Squier, Farley, Rettberg, Rockwell and Elias Howe matter, 1937 › scan 311
Scan 311
Ayars, Contributions to the Art of Music in America by the Music Industries of Boston (1937) — the Squier, Farley, Rettberg, Rockwell and Elias Howe matter, 1937
30 lines. Read by computer on 27 September 2026. Printed page 285. See the scan on archive.org.
1PIANOFORTES MADE BY W. & A. BENT
3* SQUARE lettered in hand painting "W. & A. Bent [Old English letters] Musical—Instrument—Makers Boston." Made bet. 1800-07.
4At the Historical Society of Old Newbury, [address hidden] cor. [address hidden], Newburyport, Mass. Open June 1st to Oct. 1st 2-5 p.m.
5Small oblong rosewood case inlaid, with spindle legs. No pedal. Strings extremely fine for a pianoforte. Wooden half plate at right has harp shaped wooden bridge and the hitch pins. Iron tuning pins in a wood bar at rear left of frame. Wooden bar with dampers attached near tuning pin bar.
7SQUARE made by W. & A. Bent in 1800. One of the first squares made in Boston.
8In the U. S. National Museum, Hugo Worch Collection of Keyboard Instruments, Washington, D. C. Cat. No. 299851.
10PIANOFORTES MADE BY BROWN & HALLET
12* SQUARE inscribed in hand painting "Brown & Hallet, corner of Essex & [address hidden], Boston." Firm at this address 1834-36. Serial no. 434.
13At the Dedham Historical Society, [address hidden], Dedham, Mass. Open daily 2-5 p.m.
14Oblong case veneer except cover solid mahogany. Compass 6 octaves, FFF to f³.
15Two strings to a note except one for the lowest octave. No pedal now. Contains a half iron plate cast in an ornamental flower and leaves design. Belonged in the Hewins Family of Dedham about 1835.
17SQUARE made by Brown & Hallet bet. 1835 & 1843. "Very large and bulky." (Statement of the Institute.)
18In the Edison Institute, Dearborn, Michigan.
20PIANOFORTES MADE BY JONAS CHICKERING
22† SQUARE inscribed on brass name plate "A. Babcock," but was probably made by Jonas Chickering. If so, it would have been before he worked as a journeyman for John Osborn from 1819-23.
23In the Metropolitan Art Museum, [address hidden] at 82nd St., New York, N. Y. Acc. No. 22,112.
24Oblong mahogany case on 4 cylindrical legs with bronze gilt mouldings at top and bottom; stretchers of square section on three sides. Compass 6 octaves, FFF to f³.
25Has two pedals working in an ornamental lyre, and a wooden frame.
26This is considered a Chickering because the donor, Miss Harriet B. Littig wrote in 1922, "[The piano] was made for my grandmother when she was a child. . . It was made by Jonas Chickering himself when he was employed by Babcock of Boston, before he went into business for himself. He was a personal friend of my great grandfather's and so was asked to make this instrument for his daughter." Miss Littig's mother, Mrs. Marion G. Littig, inherited the pianoforte from her mother, Mrs. Samuel Downer of Boston.
28SQUARE, the first "Stewart & Chickering" No. 222 as it was not the custom then to begin with No. 1. Sold June 23, 1823, for $275.
29In the Edison Institute collection of pianofortes as it was given by Mr. Spain of Chickering & Sons to Mr. Henry Ford for safe keeping.
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