Babcock square grand

[Horace Greeley]

At 11:16 PM 12/28/95 -0700, you wrote:
>I had an unusual piano to examine today - a Babcock square grand, from the
>early ninteenth century.
>
>It has a mahogany case and is fairly small - only 26" deep and 66" wide, with
>5 1/2 octaves of keys.  Most of them don't work; as the hinges are made of
>what appears to be parchment, and they're all rotted.  The strings however
>are in remarkably good condition.
>
>The nameplate says " Made by Babcock for R. Mackay   Boston".  The serial
>number is 261.
>
>According to the Pierce Atlas, the number would date it to about 1813. From
>what I've been able to piece together brothers Alpheus and Lewis Babcock
>began making pianos about 1810.  Lewis died in 1814, leaving Alpheus alone in
>the business.  John Mackay was a business partner of Babcock in the late
>teens and early twenties; in 1822 or so the two of them formed a business
>association with Jonas Chickering, to manufacture pianos under the Chickering
>name.   Babcock left in 1829, when he joined J.G. Klemm in Philadelphia.
>
>What does this all lead to?  Well, I'd like to find out who "R. Mackay" (on
>the nameplate)  was.  Could that have been the wife or child of John Mackay?
> If so, did John's interest in the piano business begin by having Babcock
>build a piano for
>his family, and afterwards become an investor in the company?  The chronology
>would tend to support this, but I have no evidence (yet) that that is the
>case.  Does anyone out there have any additional information that could be
>useful in establishing the history of this piano?   The owner doesn't know
>much about the piano's past, as it was left in the house when they bought it
>in 1954.  Her daughter is interested in having it and getting it restored to
>playing condition so she can have her kids take lessons on it!  I don't think
>that this would be an appropriate instrument for this purpose, and I'd be
>grateful for any information that could support my suspicions that this could
>be a historically significant instrument.
>
>Thanks in advance for anyone who can offer any assistance.
>
>Edward Bordeleau
>Pianoarts, Inc.
>
>
Ed,

One of your best contacts for this information will be Bill Garlick, Blue
Point, New York - check the phone number in the PTG Directory

Best,

Horace Greeley


Horace Greeley, RPT
Piano Technician & Consultant
The Colburn School of Performing Arts
Los Angeles, CA
____________________
14 Pyxie Lane
San Carlos, CA 94070-1506
415.592.6620