William S. Haynes

Who was William S. Haynes?

William S. Haynes was the founder of the William S. Haynes Flute Company of Boston. The company was founded in 1888 and is one of the world's leading makers of concert flutes.

Haynes was a master silversmith. He was the son of a sea captain and a school teacher. Haynes established his flute-making shop, Wm S Haynes Co., in Piedmont Street in the Bay Village district of Boston, where the business was until moving to Acton, MA in 2010.

Haynes patented his distinctive flute design in 1914, and the company has since become a provider of silver and gold instruments to many of the world's most prominent orchestral, chamber and jazz musicians. High-profile soloists to have performed on a Haynes flute have included Georges Barrère and Jean-Pierre Rampal.

Haynes retired to Florida in 1936 and died there in 1939.

When the recent owner John Fuggetta died, his widow, Stella Fuggetta, sold the company to Eastman Winds in 2004.