Archive Record
Images
Metadata
Title |
Architectural Details |
Object Name |
Drawing, Technical |
Collection |
S.H. Kress & Company Collection |
Description |
Blue line copy on paper of architectural detail drawings (elevation; plan of show windows; full scale detail of C.I. saddles; section; cast stone cornice mold detail; detail section through front above transom). E.J.T. Hoffmann was the project architect. For other blue line copy, see 1989.13.2.26.2b. |
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 |
1989.13.2.26.2a |
Credit Line |
Courtesy of National Building Museum, gift of Genesco, Inc. |
Area / Region |
Los Angeles, California |
Building Information |
Genesco Store Number: 833 Address: 4415 South Central Avenue Facade Material: Brick, cast-stone Style: Unknown Drawing Number: 3 |
Creator |
E.J.T. Hoffmann |
Year |
1927 |
Donor |
Genesco Inc. |
Medium |
Blue Line/Paper |
Scale |
Multiple listed |
Dimension |
24 1/8" x 36 3/16" |
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 |
1927 blue line copy paper architectural detail elevation plan show window mold section full scale saddles transom E.J.T. Hoffman E.J.T. Hoffmann two story brick cast-stone cornice parapet trim Adams Street fire water damage Watts Riot McCrory Stores 4415 South Central Avenue Store 833 Los Angeles California S.H. Kress & Co drawing |
Address |
Additional Craftsmen: Drawn by W.P.M. |