Photo Record
Images
Metadata
Title |
Exterior view of Kress store under construction |
Object Name |
Print, Photographic |
Collection |
S.H. Kress & Company |
Catalog Number |
1989.13.1.3315 |
Description |
Print, photographic; B&W; exterior photo taken at ground level; picture shows a view looking at a diagonal at the corner of a building under construction; tall concrete wall pierced by a row of high windows are in place on both sides; a lower wall shows further back; a very wide concrete from crosses the space between to tops of the walls in front; wide overhangs are cantilevered out from the tops of both sections; steel frame for future marquee can be made out; billboard facing street "THIS BUILDING WHEN COMPLETED WILL BE OCCUPIED BY\S. H. KRESS & CO.\5-10-25 CENT STORE"; photographic inscription in lower right corner "Store - LIHUE T.H.\Owner - S. H. Kress & Co.\Architect - Edward F. Sibbert\Contractor - Ralph E. Woollley\Date - (inked) Nov 16 1937; stamps on back "SENDA STUDIO\LIHUE KUAUI, HAWAII\Lot No. 1048\Neg. No.G 2\Please order reprint by Lot and\Negative Numbers" and "RECEIVED\IN ARCH. DIV.\NOV 29 1937" |
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 |
Lihue, Hawaii |
Additional Notes |
Genesco Store Number: 977 Address: 4291 Rice Street Facade Material: Concrete Style: Unknown Primary Building Architect: Edward F. Sibbert Contractors: |
Date |
11/16/1937 |
Photographer |
Senda Studio |
Studio |
Senda Studio |
Orig/Copy |
Original |
Medium |
Photographic paper |
Object Category |
8: Communication Artifact |
Donor |
Genesco Inc. |
Notes on Related Objects |
Related Units: 78 photographs Book Description: "Designed by Edward F. Sibbert in 1937, this one-story building on Kauai had a steel frame with reinforced concrete walls. Simple designs of vertical grooves and stylized coats of arms enhanced the concrete façade. The interior was very plain with exposed steel columsn and little ornamentation. This store closed in 1980. The manager's home, designed by Edward F. Sibbert, was a small frame bungalow with a detached garage. It was completed shortly after the Lihue store opened." |
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 |
Edward F. Sibbert one-story Kauai steel frame reinforced concrete simple design vertical groove stylize coat of arms plain exposed ornamentation store manager house bungalow detached garage Store 977 Lihue Hawaii 4291 Rice Street S.H. Kress & Co photograph |