I wonder whether H-W baby carriages may have been seen as a status symbol for some reason. Image #4839 also shows them, with a banner identical to the one in the rear of this display.

Wilson Proctor was located at 717 7th Street NW.

A black doll in the 20s? Very progressive company for its day.

[Mammy dolls and other examples of the collectibles category known today Black Americana are pretty much the opposite of progressive thinking. - Dave]

I had no idea Heywood-Wakefield made baby carriages. They sure made gorgeous furniture from the 1930s through the '50s, though. I would love a Hey-Wake dining set with dogbone or stingray chairs, a china cabinet and a buffet. I'd take 'em in either wheat or champagne - I'm not picky! I'm not rich, either, so I'll probably never get them.

I'm intrigued by the sign on the back wall, partly obscured by the Wilson lettering. I think it says, "Parlor Suits and Couches, Second Floor".
Until I moved to southern Illinois, I had never heard a grouping of furniture referred to as a "suit". Suite, yes - pronounced "sweet".

So do they have bedroom "suits" in Washington, too?
And do they spell it without the 'e'?
And if this sign isn't referring to furniture, just what is a parlor suit?

[The dictionary gives "suit" as a synonym for "suite." A search through the newspaper archive for "bedroom suit" gives thousands of hits. - Dave]