History of Heywood-Wakefield
Jun 21, 2017 | by Becky Oeltjenbruns
From the 1948 Ladies Home Journal
Hard to believe June is upon us, ringing in the mid-point of our year (and for Arizona – ushering in an epic heat wave!). By now most people will have already done their re-decorating, tackling it in Spring when they gave all their possessions a good dusting. For me, June is that time to consider a refresh. I feel like there is something almost poetic about re-evaluating at the fifty yard line. I start my assessment with a quote from William Morris: “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.”
With this thought as my guidepost, I now have a couple items I’m on the lookout for but, as you know, it can be tricky to find what you want when you shop vintage. Collecting is definitely an exercise in patience! Yet when you find that perfect piece it completely pays off – the months or years of waiting suddenly slip from your mind. We’ve already talked about unique Lane offerings in-depth; today I want to consider another company known for their timeless designs. Join us as we dive into a brief history of Heywood-Wakefield.
The story of Heywood-Wakefield begins with a merger. In 1897 two independently successful (and highly competitive) firms joined to make Heywood Brothers & Wakefield Company. By 1921 they shortened it to the name we recognize today. (Considering that they had been fiercely battling over the wicker and rattan market, I wonder if there were any boardroom fights over which name came first on the logo…)
Trying to understand the value of your Heywood-Wakefield piece? Check out this article here.
From Pinterest – pinned by The Vintage Resource
For the first few decades of the newly-merged company’s existence they kept with their original formula – pumping out wicker and rattan pieces that found their design influence in Japanese motifs and the Aesthetic movement. While they started to streamline their designs during the Arts & Crafts movement, the company was struggling a bit to define its new look. That all changed starting in the 1920s with the hiring of innovative designers such as Paul Frankl, Russel Wright, Gilbert Rohde, and Donald Deskey. This gamble to invest in cutting-edge design paid off. Soon these new Art Deco-inspired designs found an eager audience and Heywood-Wakefield developed a legendary following.
This love affair with Heywood-Wakefield grew with their displays at the 1933 Century of Progress exhibition and the 1964 World’s Fair. Just as the Lane hope chest became the quintessential gift for a sweetheart, Heywood-Wakefield furniture became the thing for a newlywed’s home. The use of solid wood and focus on quality craftsmanship made these more than just tables and chairs – they were investments in the American dream. Graceful lines and simple curves, when combined with pale blond finishes, defined the look of the mid-century home.
How do you identify vintage Heywood-Wakefield? Usually you think labels. However the famous eagle logo didn’t come into use until 1949 and paper labels were used up until that point. Unsurprisingly, these labels may not have survived the years. Don’t let the lack of a label concern you. More precise clues are found in the wood species, stain, type of screw, and pencil markings inside of drawers. A complete description of each clue is found here.
Achieving icon status is not an easy thing to sustain, and like most vintage brands, Heywood-Wakefield eventually fell out of favor. But the good stuff comes back and today’s market for Heywood-Wakefield vintage pieces is strong. You can’t beat good quality and thoughtful design. Tell me dear readers, as you look for pieces that are beautiful and useful, will Heywood-Wakefield make your shopping list?
Enjoyed your history on Heywood Wakefield. In getting ready for a garage sale, I decided to thrown in three wooden folding chairs that have been in storage for 47 years—20yrs in our third home and 27 yrs in our 2nd home. In cleaning them orange glow I noticed a dark blue paper label Heywood Wakefield and decided to do some checking on these, but have found nothing that looks like the two Heywood Wakefield ones. There was always something that I like about them, I guess because they weren’t big and on the back of the seat there are three wooden buttons. Could you possibly know the year for these chairs and would they be worth more than the ten dollars I was going to put on them.
Hi Mary,
We will do our best to research if you send pictures to editor@causeafrockus.com. Please note we don’t do appraisals as we aren’t seeing the items in person…
Rarely is Count Alexis de Sakhnoffsky mentioned as a designer for Heywood Wakefield. In my research the pieces he designed were significant to the classic pieces Heywood Wakefield is known for. He designed for many different industries, including the 1933 Nash, and he is credited for introducing streamlining to America. I saw a kneehole desk with a metal plate “designed by Count …” on it instead of the Heywood burnout, it was kickass. I cannot find other pieces he designed, any ideas?
I haven’t Heywood swivel desk office chair made in Baltimore but I can’t find out much more than that it’s not the blonde furniture . It has a wicker back and wicker seat dark in color. Button on arms that says Jan 3 1873
Hi Terry,
If you could send some pictures to editor@causeafrockus.com (including the button marking from 1873) we’ll dig in… cheers!
I have a rectangle coffee table that has 4 curved legs, along with the eagle logo that says Hey-wood Wakefield on the inside of one of the legs. It also is stamped 795 G on the underside. I can’t find any rectangle coffee tables with the curved legs or anything about what the 795 G means? Have you heard of any coffee tables such as the one I aquired?
Hi Lori,
Thanks for your note! If you could please email editor@causeafrockus.com with some pictures, we’ll dig in.
Cheers!
I have recently bought a child’s rocker for my new granddaughter. It looks rather colonial in style. It has a partial paper label on the underside that says Haywood
Wakefield. Upon closer examination there appears to be a small plaque on the back where the upright dowels join the seat. Could you please help me with a date for this rocker? Thank you Donna
Hi Donna,
Sounds like a fun find – if you could email pictures to editor@causeafrockus.com we’ll dig in!