About Dominick & Haff

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In 1872, Henry Blanchard Dominick and Leroy B. Haff set up a silver firm in New York City that would carry their names. Both men had trained at William Gale Jr. & Co., a respected shop with roots going back to 1821, and they brought that foundation of skill and tradition into their own work. From the start, their company, Dominick & Haff, was known for precision and creativity. Early pieces like vinaigrettes and chatelaines showed meticulous attention to detail and found an eager market.<br><br> By the mid-1870s, their reputation had grown, but not without setbacks. In 1877, a fire nearly destroyed everything they had built. Instead of folding, they rebuilt, and by 1884 they had moved into a prominent building on the corner of Broadway, 17th Street, and Union Square. The new headquarters was a sign of resilience and ambition.<br><br> Expansion soon followed. In 1880, they purchased the dies of Adams & Shaw, giving them a wider design vocabulary. This helped launch a range of silver patterns that blended old-world motifs with fresh ideas. Names like Chippendale, Renaissance, Marie Antoinette, Labors of Cupid, and Queen Anne-Plain stood out, each one distinct, each appealing to different tastes. Their catalog grew to include flatware and hollowware, celebrated for both beauty and craftsmanship.<br><br> Prestigious clients took notice. Bailey, Banks, and Biddle of Philadelphia commissioned their work, and over time their pieces ended up in museums, from the Metropolitan Museum of Art to the Brooklyn Museum and the Art Institute of Chicago. To own a Dominick & Haff piece wasn’t just to own silverware; it was to hold a bit of art and culture.<br><br> For more than five decades, Dominick & Haff shaped American silver design. But by 1928, change came. Henry Blanchard Dominick died that year, and not long after, Reed & Barton acquired the company. The name faded into another firm’s history, though the influence didn’t disappear.<br><br> Collectors today still seek out Dominick & Haff patterns. The pieces carry both beauty and weight of history, reminders of a company that helped define American silversmithing during its golden age.