Archive Record
Images
Metadata
Title |
Construction: Basement South, North, and East Wall Details |
Object Name |
Drawing |
Collection |
S.H. Kress & Company Collection |
Description |
Black ink drawing of the basement south, east, and north wall details. Includes north and east wall drawing at and to stair no. 5, part of the south wall from west wall and of the sales room, and part of the south wall from and of sales room to east wall. Also includes full size elevation of sign on fire hose cabinets in basement and first floor. For the original construction in 1936. Revision made in 1937, which is noted on the drawing. |
Context |
The S.H. Kress & Company, founded by Samuel H. Kress, opened over 300 5-10-25 cent stores in thirty states from New Jersey to Florida and across to California, Oregon, Washington, and Hawaii. The first Kress store opened in Memphis, Tennessee in 1896. Many of the early Kress stores started out in rented spaces. By 1909, the Company began to open its stores in new structures created by S.H. Kress & Company architects like Edward F. Sibbert and Seymour Burrell, or built for it by contractors and held under lease. The Kress stores particularly thrived during the Great Depression, as they sold inexpensive products in luxurious spaces. Kress stores ranged in architectural styles, from Neoclassical to Art Deco to Modern and International. Towards the end of the S.H. Kress & Company life, shopping centers and malls overtook free-standing commercial buildings as the preferred retail locations, and new Kress stores were placed in large multistore structure. In 1964, the S.H. Kress & Company was purchased by Genesco, Incorporated, and the company was liquidated in 1980 and 1981. Some of the buildings have been demolished, while others have been renovated and adapted. The documents, plans, photographs, and objects that were gifted to the National Building Museum by numerous donors provide a rich array of information relevant to business, social, architectural, land use, race relations, and commercial history in the United States. |
Catalog Number |
1989.13.2.2.87 |
Credit Line |
Courtesy of National Building Museum, gift of Genesco, Inc. |
Area / Region |
Birmingham, Alabama |
Building Information |
Building Style: Modern with Art Deco details Façade Material: Terra cotta Genesco Store Number: 7 Address: 1900 Third Avenue Drawing Number: F-58 |
Creator |
Edward F. Sibbert |
Other Creators |
Drawn by R.A.B. |
Year |
1936 |
Donor |
Genesco Inc. |
Medium |
Linen |
Scale |
Multiple listed; full sc |
Dimension |
26 3/4" x 36 3/4" |
Lexicon category |
8: Communication Artifact |
Related Publications |
Wilkerson, Susan, and Hank Griffith. A Guide to the Building Records of S.H. Kress & Co. 5-10-25 Cent Stores at the National Building Museum. Edited by Joyce Eliiot. Washington, DC: National Building Museum Publication Office, 1993. |
Search Terms |
1936 architectural linen construction basement details elevation north wall south wall east wall sales room west wall fire hose full size Edward F. Sibbert Terra Cotta Art Deco National Register of Historic Places 1900 Third Avenue Birmingham Alabama Store 7 Mercantile District S.H. Kress & Co Third Avenue terracotta corner location attached steel frame exterior streamlines lot main retail district sleek five-story clad white rounded fenestration strong horizontal lines sales area wood paneled walls ceiling feet travertine floor height geometric motif racially segregated drinking fountain restroom liquidated drawing |
Address |
Birmingham, Alabama |