John F. Wake was one of the more active piano makers of the 19th Century. John Wake was a piano dealer, maker of piano parts & hardware, and also a piano manufacturer.  Wake is listed as making pianos in New York City as early as 1838.  In 1839, Wake went into partnership with Robert Glenn, forming the firm of “Wake & Glenn”.  The partnership lasted until about 1842.  In 1846, Wake joined John Myer and Hiram Herrick, forming the firm of “Wake, Myer & Herrick”.  This partnership was also short lived, as Wake left this partnership in 1847.  In 1853, Wake established his own firm as “Wake & Company”, and continued to build pianos for several years.  There is no mention of John F. Wake or Wake & Company after the onset of the Civil War, indicating that the firm went out of business in the 1860s.