Archive Record
Images

Metadata
Title |
Northeast Stair Plans and Details |
Object Name |
Drawing, Technical |
Collection |
S.H. Kress & Company Collection |
Description |
Pencil drawings on paper of northeast stair plans and details (first floor plan; second floor plan; third floor plan; fourth floor plan; fifth floor plan). Completed by James M. Fox, structural engineer, with L.W. Davidson and Associates, Architects and Industrial Engineers, in contract with Lindgren & Swinerton. |
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 |
1989.13.2.25.35 |
Credit Line |
Courtesy of National Building Museum, gift of Genesco, Inc. |
Area / Region |
Los Angeles, California |
Building Information |
Genesco Store Number: 827 Address: 621 South Broadway Facade Material: Terra cotta, porcelain enamel Style: Unknown Drawing Number: S9 |
Creator |
James M. Fox, Structural Engineer; L.W. Davidson and Associates, Architects and |
Year |
1954 |
Donor |
Genesco Inc. |
Medium |
Paper |
Scale |
1/4 in = 1 ft |
Dimension |
22" x 34 1/16" |
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 |
1954 1955 pencil paper structural northeast stair plan detail first floor second floor third floor fourth floor fifth floor James M. Fox structural engineer Lindgren & Swinerton industrial engineer L.W. Davidson and Associates five story terracotta terra cotta foliate porcelain enamel panel remodel Store 827 621 South Broadway Los Angeles California S.H. Kress & Co drawing |
Address |
Additional Craftsmen: Contractor: Lindgren & Swinerton; Drawn by C.C.M. |