Photo Record
Images
Metadata
Title |
Children's Clothing Section |
Object Name |
Print, Photographic |
Collection |
S.H. Kress & Company |
Catalog Number |
1989.13.1.2878 |
Description |
Print, photographic; B&W, interior photo taken at floor level; the picture shows a view looking at an angle at along side wall of the merchandise floor; waist-high counters in forground are covered; racks of little girls' dresses sit along wall; mushroom shaped milk glass light fixtures hang from the very high ceiling; photographic inscription typed in lower right corner "Savannah, GA.\S. H. Kress & Co.\Brittain Const. Co.\Feb. 25, 1959" stamp on back "RECEIVED\MAR 6 1959"; numerous sign-off initials |
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 |
Savannah, Georgia |
Additional Notes |
Genesco Store Number: 125 Address: 120 West Broughton Street Facade Material: Dark brick Style: Art Deco Primary Building Architect: 1922 - E.J.T. Hoffman; 1938 - Edward F. Sibbert Contractors: Brittain Const. Co. |
Date |
2/25/1959 |
Photographer |
Unknown |
Orig/Copy |
Original Print |
Medium |
Photographic paper |
Object Category |
8: Communication Artifact |
Donor |
Genesco Inc. |
Notes on Related Objects |
Related Units: 60 photographs, 44 plans, 12.5 inches of documents Book Description: "In 1913 a store was set up in an existing building at the intersection of two streetcar lines. The store received typical Kress show-windows, entrances, and interior details. That building was demolished in 1922. Its large replacement, designed by staff architect E.J.T. Hoffman, was atypical in its dark brick cladding and flat-topped parapet. The 1938 incorporation of the adjoining Blumberg Building, its facade altered to match the Kress store, enlarged this already generous facility. Architect Edward F. Sibbert designed the project to give a raised center to the parapet and an Art Deco look to the sales area, with mirrored columns, marblewood wainscoting, and the Kress corporate logo cast in plaster on the walls. New show-windows were installed in 1947, and in 1959 the windows, show-windows, and entrances were replaced. McCrory Stores purchased the location 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 children's clothing section |
Search Terms |
intersection streetcar demolished replacement E.J.T. Hoffman E.J.T. Hoffmann dark brick cladding flat-topped parapet Blumberg Building Edward F. Sibbert Art Deco mirror column marblewood wainscotting corporate logo plaster McCrory Stores Store 125 Savannah Georgia 120 West Broughton Street photograph |