• Serial No. 1454
• Orchard House, Concord, MA
• Year: 1833 Square Piano.
• Maker: J. Chickering, Maker, 416 Washington St., Boston
• Action:
• Stops:
• Range: FF-f⁴ 73 Keys (six octaves)
• Stringing:
• Framing:
• Case: Mahogany veneer case in Sheraton style with simple square corners and bevelled skirt (3"d.) encompassing bottomedge of case. Pedal lyre is detached and is of the typical shape and style utilized by Chickering inthe earlier half of his career. Legs have one lagre turned ring beneathe a square capital, and three more closely turned rings above heavy reeding which tapers to yet another ring above the castors. Nameboard is carved and adorned with a beautiful stencil decoration that envelops Chickering name - compensating for the lack of ornamentation on the rest of the case.
• Height: 35"
• Width: 72"
• Depth: 29"
• History: This piano was a wedding gift in 1833 to Mr. George Bond and Sophia May from Sophia"s father, Henry Knox May. The piano was purchased July 8 1833 by H. K. May, Mt.Gomery Place, for $250. Sophia Bond died in 1841. In 1843, George Bond married Louisa Caroline Greenwood May, adopted daughter of Joseph May and sister of Abigail May Alcott. Louisa Bond, also known as "Auntie Bond" was a kind relative to the Alcotts and gave music lessons to May Alcott in 1857. She, at some point in the 1860's gave the piano to the Alcotts.
• Information Source: Darcy Kuronen, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; "The Square Pianos of Jonas Chickering", Mary Ellen Patnaude Haupert; Heather C Wager, Orchard House, Concord, MA.