(1887-1918)
Otto L. Heintz was born into a family of manufacturing jewelers established in 1875 in Buffalo, NY. By about 1902 he had purchased a small company, renamed it the Art Crafts Shop, and began design and manufacture of copper items with colored enamel decoration. He was granted three patents. By 1906 he changed the name to Heintz Art Metal Shop, and shifted to bronze as the base material and sterling silver as ornamentation. The Art Crafts Shop’s hammered “look” was replaced by a series of machine-shaped bodies with sophisticated patinas. The definitive patents for applying sterling silver to bronze without solder was granted August 27, 1912.
Heintz’s line consisted of vases and bowls, candlesticks, smoking accessories, trophies, lamps, desk accessories, picture frames, bookends, and jewelry. From a circa 1916 trade catalog: “Heintz wares have won an enviable reputation among buyers of art goods, because of originality and beauty of design, and unusual quality of attractiveness.
(from “About Heintz.” http://www.heintzcollector.com/about.htm)