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Alpheus Babcock

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133:. Following Lewis' death in 1814 the surviving partners formed a brief partnership with brothers Charles and Elna Hayt, the business was taken over by Mackay & Co., with Crehore's former partner, organ maker William Goodrich (d. 1834) as one of the partners, and by 1817 reorganized as The Franklin Music Warehouse with Joshua Stevens as foreman, continuing at Milk street under John Rowe Parker through 1823. Babcock may have worked during this period in Philadelphia, but by 1822 worked at the rear of 11 Marlboro street, Boston and moved the following year to Parkman's Market, Cambridge street. The Mackays continued an association with Babcock throughout the 1820s, with many of the instruments labelled "for G. D. Mackay" and "for R. Mackay". 22: 87: 143:
In 1830 he relocated to Philadelphia, at the time the largest producer of pianos in the United States, where he patented what he called "cross stringing", and introduced resilient cloth hammer coverings. He was associated with instrument maker and seller John C. Klemm, his former agent, and by late
148:, he advertised in The Daily Chronicle in 1833, one could see iron framed pianos for which he claimed sole manufacturing rights. Babcock won honors at the 1833 Franklin Institute exhibition, along with C. F. L. Albrecht of Philadelphia, and Nunns & Co. of New York. 201:
Babcock assigned his 1839 patent to John Mackay, William H. Mackay and Jonas Chickering. John Mackay, like George D. Mackay in 1822, had given Babcock's address in 1825, 1828, and 1829
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For "the best horizontal piano", a square "made for J. Mackay, of Boston" with "the strings of the lower octaves... covered with flattened wire" Spillane, p. 86
125:, and worked for musical instrument maker Benjamin Crehore (d.1828) before 1809. He established a workshop and music warehouse in Boston with brother Lewis at 44½ 109:
during the early 19th century. Babcock is best known for patenting a complete iron frame in a single casting used to resist the strain of the strings in
155:& Mackays who had formed a partnership in 1830. Babcock's improvements helped Chickerings lead the American piano industry through the 1850s. 140:
in Philadelphia, as well as in 1825, and in 1827 a silver medal and special mention for a square with his patented solid cast-iron frame (1825).
51: 321: 280: 316: 306: 264: 331: 169: 311: 176:, and mother of John Mackay, but Holman writes she died 1820, and that John Mackay was married to her daughter Fanny. 73: 44: 145: 129:, but by 1812 they entered a partnership with organ maker Thomas Appleton (1785–1872) with workshops at 6 106: 122: 34: 38: 30: 126: 55: 326: 102: 215:"Biographical Memoir of William M. Goodrich, Organ Builder." (1834) The New England Magazine 301: 296: 8: 130: 113:, he also patented a system of stringing in squares, and improvements in piano actions. 137: 272: 220:
Reports of the United States Commissioners to the Paris Universal Exposition, 1867.
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Kuronen, Darcy. (2002) "Alpheus Babcock, Piano Maker" Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
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1832 worked as foreman for piano maker William Swift, at whose warehouse at 142
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Ripin and Kuronen indicate "G. D. Mackay" as George Mackay, d. 1824, nephew of
290: 173: 110: 194:. Babcock's invention involved winding shared wires around the hitch pins. 218:
Stevens, Paran. (1870) "Manufacture of Pianos in the United States."
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Babcock received a silver medal at the 1824 Exhibition of the
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Early A. Babcock Piano Wooden Sound Board with Iron Strings
288: 172:, and "R. Mackay" as Ruth, (1744–1833) widow of 43:but its sources remain unclear because it lacks 151:Babcock returned to Boston in 1837 employed by 243:. N. E. Hist. Genealogical Society, Boston. 97:(September 11, 1785 – April 3, 1842) was a 74:Learn how and when to remove this message 85: 241:Ancestors and Descendants of John Coney 289: 234:A History of the American Pianoforte 222:Govt. Print. Off., Washington, D. C. 15: 13: 322:American musical instrument makers 250:Gresham Books. Old Woking, Surrey. 197: 186: 170:John Mackay (Boston Industrialist) 14: 343: 257:W. W. Norton & Co., New York. 179: 164: 101:and musical instrument maker in 20: 317:19th-century American inventors 307:People from Dorchester, Boston 1: 279:Arzhruni, Ahan. Liner notes. 209: 332:Inventors from Massachusetts 116: 7: 283:. New World Records 80590-2 227:The History of Milton, Mass 10: 348: 107:Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 123:Dorchester, Massachusetts 312:People from Philadelphia 232:Spillane, Daniel (1890) 158: 29:This article includes a 253:Belt, Philip R. (1988) 239:Holman, Mary L. (1929) 58:more precise citations. 236:D. Spillane, New York. 91: 103:Boston, Massachusetts 89: 255:The New Grove Piano. 225:Teele, J. K. (1887) 121:Babcock was born in 246:Harding, R. (1978) 281:Childhood Memories 275:on August 6, 2008. 269:Music Encyclopedia 203:Boston Directories 138:Franklin Institute 92: 31:list of references 84: 83: 76: 339: 276: 271:. Archived from 248:The Piano-Forte. 200: 189: 182: 167: 79: 72: 68: 65: 59: 54:this article by 45:inline citations 24: 23: 16: 347: 346: 342: 341: 340: 338: 337: 336: 287: 286: 263: 212: 190:Not related to 161: 146:Chestnut street 119: 95:Alpheus Babcock 80: 69: 63: 60: 49: 35:related reading 25: 21: 12: 11: 5: 345: 335: 334: 329: 324: 319: 314: 309: 304: 299: 285: 284: 277: 265:"Music Trades" 261: 258: 251: 244: 237: 230: 223: 216: 211: 208: 207: 206: 195: 192:over stringing 184: 177: 160: 157: 127:Newbury Street 118: 115: 82: 81: 39:external links 28: 26: 19: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 344: 333: 330: 328: 325: 323: 320: 318: 315: 313: 310: 308: 305: 303: 300: 298: 295: 294: 292: 282: 278: 274: 270: 266: 262: 259: 256: 252: 249: 245: 242: 238: 235: 231: 228: 224: 221: 217: 214: 213: 204: 199: 196: 193: 188: 185: 181: 178: 175: 171: 166: 163: 162: 156: 154: 149: 147: 141: 139: 134: 132: 128: 124: 114: 112: 111:square pianos 108: 104: 100: 96: 88: 78: 75: 67: 57: 53: 47: 46: 40: 36: 32: 27: 18: 17: 327:Piano makers 273:the original 268: 254: 247: 240: 233: 226: 219: 198: 191: 187: 180: 174:Mungo Mackay 165: 150: 142: 135: 120: 94: 93: 70: 61: 50:Please help 42: 302:1842 deaths 297:1785 births 131:Milk Street 56:introducing 291:Categories 210:References 153:Chickering 117:Biography 64:June 2018 52:improve 159:Notes 99:piano 37:, or 105:and 293:: 267:. 41:, 33:, 229:. 205:. 77:) 71:( 66:) 62:( 48:.

Index

list of references
related reading
external links
inline citations
improve
introducing
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piano
Boston, Massachusetts
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
square pianos
Dorchester, Massachusetts
Newbury Street
Milk Street
Franklin Institute
Chestnut street
Chickering
John Mackay (Boston Industrialist)
Mungo Mackay
Boston Directories
"Music Trades"
the original
Childhood Memories
Categories
1785 births
1842 deaths
People from Dorchester, Boston
People from Philadelphia
19th-century American inventors

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