John MacKay

Biography

John MacKay is introduced as 'that commercial genius' who partnered with Alpheus Babcock in 1821 and later joined Jonas Chickering as a business partner, freeing Chickering to focus on invention and construction. MacKay had considerable mercantile experience, having traveled extensively to England and other countries. With capital and faith in Chickering's pianos, he launched an aggressive selling campaign that made the Chickering name known throughout the United States, and many of Chickering's best inventions were perfected during their partnership. The partnership ended abruptly in 1841 when MacKay, having sailed in a ship of his own to South America to procure fancy woods for the Chickering factory, never returned and his ship was never heard from again. John MacKay is described as an enterprising commercial genius who, from 1830, partnered with Jonas Chickering and spread the fame of the Chickering piano over the entire United States as it then existed. His death marked a turning point: Chickering, though far in the lead of other American manufacturers, did not continue MacKay's aggressive business policy, and, lacking an inspiring leader, the American piano industry progressed only slowly from 1840 to 1855, when Steinway & Sons appeared and revitalized the trade with equally aggressive publicity. From Spillane (1890): John Mackay, known as 'Captain Mackay,' was originally a ship merchant who traded between England and Boston and accumulated considerable wealth, which he used to back Alpheus Babcock's piano-making business at 7 Parkman's Market, Boston, until about 1829. Though reputed to have no practical knowledge of piano construction, he patented a new method of covering hammer-heads on August 14, 1828 (reissued in 1839). Around 1830 Mackay became the business partner of Jonas Chickering, bringing capital and commercial acumen to the firm; while Chickering managed technical production, Mackay drove sales, and by 1839 the partnership had reportedly established agencies throughout the country, pioneering the modern piano trade's distribution system. In 1841 Mackay sailed from Boston bound for South America to obtain wood cargoes for the business and was lost — meeting, in Spillane's words, 'a sad fate.' His brothers W. H. and G. D. Mackay were also, to some degree, involved in the family's music trade ventures. John Mackay went into business with Alpheus Babcock at Parkman's Market on Cambridge Street, Boston, beginning in 1822, around the time Babcock originated his metal plate for square pianos. Spillane notes that Mackay's name recurs elsewhere in the text in connection with Jonas Chickering.

Highlights

• Described as 'an enterprising commercial genius'
• Partnered with Jonas Chickering starting in 1830 and spread the fame of the Chickering piano across the United States
• After his death the industry lacked an inspiring leader and progressed only slowly until 1855
• Described as 'that commercial genius' who partnered with Alpheus Babcock in 1821 before joining Jonas Chickering
• Launched an aggressive selling campaign that made the Chickering piano known in every major U.S. city
• Lost at sea in 1841 while sailing on his own ship to South America to procure fancy woods for the Chickering factory
• Went into piano-making partnership with Alpheus Babcock at Parkman's Market, Cambridge Street, beginning in 1822.
• Spillane notes his name recurs elsewhere in connection with Jonas Chickering.
• Backed Alpheus Babcock's Boston piano business with wealth earned as a ship merchant
• Patented a hammer-head covering method Aug 14, 1828 (reissued 1839)
• Became Jonas Chickering's business partner around 1830, establishing the firm's first national sales agencies; lost at sea in 1841

Sources

Alfred Dolge, Pianos and Their Makers, Vol. I (1911), pp. 270, 272.

Daniel Spillane, History of the American Pianoforte (1890), pp. 56, 85, 86, 87, 88.

Public domain.