Pickin’ through Chester County, by Tara Dugan
EVERYTHING old is new again. With Pan Am, Mad Men and The Playboy Club on television, retro drinks, and the resurgence of linoleum and Formica, it feels as though we are in the middle of last century. In fact, mid-century modern (as it is commonly known) is one of the hottest decorating styles right now. What was modern then is modern again: the clean lines and fresh, contemporary, forward-looking designs that reflected the hopefulness of a post-war nation.
The Heywood-Wakefield Furniture Company was a design icon in the 1950s. The five Heywood brothers began making chairs in a small workshop next to their father’s barn in Gardiner, Massachusetts in 1826. Their operation grew steadily, and their chair line expanded to include things like railway seats and rattan baby carriages.
Around the same time, Boston grocer Cyrus Wakefield watched as sailors discarded bales of rattan, thought to be worthless ‘dunnage’ and only used to protect cargo. In what Oprah might call his “aha moment,” Cyrus bought the rattan for next to nothing, and the Wakefield Rattan Company was born.
The two companies expanded rapidly and became fierce competitors. And, like so many marriages, the spirited rivalry merged in 1897, becoming The Heywood Brothers and Wakefield Company. The company continued to expand and acquire other furniture manufacturers, notably Lloyd Manufacturing and Oregon Chair, until the whole messy family tree was pruned into Heywood-Wakefield.
Between the wars, several notable designers worked for Heywood-Wakefield, including Gilbert Rohde and Alfonso Bach, whose “Streamline Modern” line brought a fresh look to the storied company. World War II brought a complete change in product to what the company called “grim, strange cargo” – dive bomber seats, gunstocks, etc. After the war they returned to their roots, debuting the “Encore,” “Aristocraft” and “Sculptura” lines to wide approval and sales. The look is clean, sophisticated and unfussy, and it was beautifully made of solid birch.
Just a few weeks back I received a call from Meg, a West Chester resident and Heywood-Wakefield aficionado. Having seen some pieces in my shop window, she called and offered to show me her tables. Redecorating meant the tables had to go, but Meg couldn’t bring herself to sell them to someone with no idea of their history. Once I saw the tables, I understood her attachment. The two-tiered end tables and rare, round cocktail table were done in the marvelous Champagne color most desired by Heywood-Wakefield collectors due to the warmth of the finish.
After 60 or so years of use, it is amazing how good they still look. Good enough, even, for Don Draper.
