Vintage Heywood-Wakefield furniture is highly sought after and highly valued on the antiques market. We get lots of questions about identifying and appraising our company's early pieces, particularly those produced from the mid-1930s through the mid-1960s. There's information about how we can and can't help in these regards
here. Also, we wrote about some clues for determining whether a vintage piece is a genuine Heywood-Wakefield
here.
If you're interested in the subject, or even just mid-century modern furniture in general, there are three fun and informative books about vintage Heywood-Wakefield we recommend. They're all useful for identifying the company's mid-century modern pieces, and for starting to get some idea of the value of these pieces. Plus, they offer nice glimpses into one niche of American design and décor history.
These are the books:
Heywood-Wakefield Modern Furniture: Identification and Value Guide
This classic by Steven and Roger Rouland (often just referred to as “The Rouland Book”) was published by Collector Books in 1994. It's an important work for highlighting Heywood-Wakefield's prominent position in mid-century modern furniture history. The book is prized in the vintage furniture industry and contains old ads, photos, catalogs, and more, depicting and describing almost every piece of Heywood-Wakefield furniture produced between 1936 and 1965. It's an excellent reference for identifying and getting some idea of the value of the company's vintage items.
Heywood-Wakefield Blond: Depression to '50s
This comprehensive Heywood-Wakefield book was released in 2007 by Schiffer Publishing, under its “Schiffer Book for Collectors” series. Edited by Donna Baker, it was assembled with the assistance of the Levi Heywood Memorial Library in Gardner, Massachusetts. It includes hundreds of archival catalog images and a pricing guide, covering classic Heywood-Wakefield mid-century modern furniture from the blond line with Wheat and Champagne finishes, created by the company's most legendary designers.
Antique Wicker from the Heywood-Wakefield Catalog
Also from 2007, and also from Schiffer Publishing's “Schiffer Book for Collectors” series, this is another great point of reference about vintage Heywood-Wakefield furniture. Written by Bob Meschi, it contains more than 900 examples and descriptions of the company's wicker and wood furniture, as well as a pricing guide.
