Photo Record
Images
Metadata
Title |
Exterior view of Kress construction site |
Object Name |
Print, Photographic |
Collection |
S.H. Kress & Company |
Catalog Number |
1989.13.1.5333 |
Description |
Print, photographic; B&W interior photo taken at ground level; the picture shows a view looking diagonally across a construction site; steel pillars support deep steel beams that span the structure under construction; metal trusswork floor supports runs between the beams; photographic inscription in lower right margin "Store - Chattanooga, Tenn.\Owner - S. H. Kress & Co.\Contractor - Sordoni Const. Co..\Date - June 25 1954"; stamp on back "RECEIVED\JUL 6 54" |
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. |
Credit Line |
Courtesy of National Building Museum, gift of Genesco, Inc. |
Place |
Chattanooga, Tennessee |
Additional Notes |
Genesco Store Number: 317 Address: 822 Market Street Facade Material: Terra cotta Style: Unknown Primary Building Architect: Lacy, Atcherton, and Davis, Architects Contractors: |
Date |
6/25/1954 |
Photographer |
Unknown |
Orig/Copy |
Original |
Medium |
Photographic paper |
Object Category |
8: Communication Artifact |
Donor |
Genesco Inc. |
Notes on Related Objects |
Related Units: 48 photographs, 44 plans, 10 inches of documents Book Description: "Kress opened the Chattanooga store in 1899, at the first of three Market Street addresses. This 1954 building was designed by Lacy, Atherton, and Davis, Architects. The two-story building, with an attractive streamlined horizontal sign reminiscent of automotive ornament of the period, is clad with terracotta panels. As with most Kress stores opened after World War II, the interior was very plain, with little trim and unornamented wall surfaces. McCrory Stores bought the building in 1980." |
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. |
Caption |
Black and white photograph of Kress site with frame being constructed |
Search Terms |
Lacy, Atherton, and Davis, Architects two-story streamline automotive ornament terracotta terra cotta panel plain trim unornamented McCrory Stores Store 317 Chattanooga Tennessee 822 Market Street S.H. Kress & Co photograph |