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8 Replies Latest reply on Jan 21, 2021 5:15 PM by B E

Seeking records of Chickering & Sons of Boston

Jim Kelly Nov 26, 2020 12:10 PM

I am a piano researcher with a focus on Chickering & Sons of Boston that had a large manufactory at 791 Tremont Street Boston. I am seeking business records, union records , employee records etc for my research. Also looking for pictures, detailed articles on the construction of the factory in 1853 and 1854. Also looking for records of The South Boston Iron Works and the Alger & Reed Foundry that made the cast iron plates for Chickering & Sons

Re: Seeking records of Chickering & Sons of Boston

Susannah Brooks Nov 27, 2020 2:22 PM (in response to Jim Kelly)

It looks like the papers of Chickering & Sons are in the Smithsonian Archives Collection:. https://sova.si.edu//record/NMAH.AC.0264
There also seems to be a small collection at the Smithsonian for the Alger & Reed Foundry
https://sova.si.edu/details/NMAH.AC.0060.S01.01.Foundries#ref529
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Re: Seeking records of Chickering & Sons of Boston

Jim Kelly Nov 27, 2020 9:31 PM (in response to Jim Kelly)

Thank you for the reply. I have been to the Smithsonian Archives and Reviewed most of the collection . The second collection of the Alger & Reed Foundry is one I recently became aware of . I have written to see what information may be in the files pertaining to piano plate forgings. I appreciate the leads and welcome more
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- Re: Seeking records of Chickering & Sons of Boston
  
  Susannah Brooks Nov 28, 2020 2:21 PM (in response to Jim Kelly)
  
  This article on Jonas Chickering and his company, may provide you with other leads to records through the footnotes: The Craftsman as Industrialist: Jonas Chickering and the Transformation of American Piano Making.
  https://www.jstor.org/stable/3114003?read-now=1&seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents
  [normally JSTOR is only available through major institutions, but due to Covid (and closure of libraries, etc) individuals can sign up for a free username and password and download up to 100 articles per month.
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Re: Seeking records of Chickering & Sons of Boston

Alice Lane Nov 28, 2020 7:15 AM (in response to Jim Kelly)

Hello Jim,
Welcome to History Hub
Found this online

List of American-Made Pianos (ourpastimes
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There may be more in the Historic New England website than I have listed. (Search in All Collections)
Collections Search | Historic New England /

Trade card for Chickering & Sons, grand, square and upright piano-fortes, Chickering & Sons, 156 Tremont Street,

Trade card for Chickering & Sons, grand, square and upright piano-fortes, Chickering & Sons, 156 Tremont Street, Boston, Mass. and 130 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York, undated | Historic New England

See them! Hear them! They speak in notes of triumph over all others, Patten & Wheelden, general agents for Chickering & Sons' grand, square and upright piano fortes, Bangor, Maine | Historic New England

Chickering account book Account book of Chickering Piano Company, 1847-1860s | Historic New England
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Cyrus Alger (1781-1856) - Find A Grave Memorial

And This Is Good Old Boston: Alger's Gun Works

Alice Lane
Research Volunteer
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- Re: Seeking records of Chickering & Sons of Boston
  
  Jim Kelly Jan 14, 2021 10:32 AM (in response to Alice Lane)
  
  I am still looking for any material including pictures, day books, journals, union membership records, payroll records of Chickering & Sons piano manufactory. In addition I am interested in the same type of records for the following Boston piano makers : McPhail, Mason&Hamlin, Emerson, Ivers & Pond, Henry Miller
  
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  - Re: Seeking records of Chickering & Sons of Boston
    
    Alice Lane Jan 14, 2021 10:50 AM (in response to Jim Kelly)
    
    Hi Jim,
    Have you tried EBAY?
    
    Alice Lane
    Research Volunteer
    
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    - Re: Seeking records of Chickering & Sons of Boston
      
      Jim Kelly Jan 14, 2021 7:07 PM (in response to Alice Lane)
      
      yes and i have found a number of things there including a plaque and a rare book written about the company by the company.
      
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Re: Seeking records of Chickering & Sons of Boston

B E Jan 21, 2021 5:15 PM (in response to Jim Kelly)

Here's an almanach by them: https://archive.org/details/commemorationfo00sonsgoog at archive.org. And a few mentions at https://archive.org/search.php?query=Chickering%20%26%20Sons%20of%20Boston&sin=TXT
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