Photo Record
Images
Metadata
Title |
Brick Wall |
Object Name |
Print, Photographic |
Collection |
S.H. Kress & Company |
Catalog Number |
1989.13.1.2018 |
Description |
Print, Photographic; B&W , exterior photo taken at ground level; picture shows a view looking head-on at the wall of an abuting building from inside an excavation; the wall features extremely rough masonry ; photograhic inscription in lower right corner "19052"; tiny logo in lower right margin "A. Roach distincive photography\DENVER; typed notation on back DENVER, COLO. STORE" and pencilled (red) "May Co. building adjoining" |
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 |
Denver, Colorado |
Additional Notes |
Genesco Store Number: 385 Address: 923 16th Street Facade Material: Terra cotta Style: Gothic-motif Primary Building Architect: Unknown Contractors: |
Date |
1941 |
Photographer |
A. Roach |
Studio |
A. Roach |
Orig/Copy |
Original Print |
Medium |
Photographic paper |
Object Category |
8: Communication Artifact |
Donor |
Genesco Inc. |
Notes on Related Objects |
Related Units: 31 photographs Book Description: "The first Denver Kress store opened in 1914 at 736 16th Street. In the 1920s, a large, handsome structure was erected on this corner in the main retail district. The exterior, clad in pale terracotta, had a striking Gothic-motif tracery frieze with polychrome insets just below the parapet. The architect's name is unknown, but the facade was virtually identical to that of the Seattle, Washington, Pike Street store, designed by E.J.T. Hoffman in 1924. Closed in 1960, the building has been demolished." |
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 brick wall |
Search Terms |
736 16th Street large handsome structure erected corner main retail district exterior clad pale terracotta terra cotta striking Gothic motif tracery frieze polychrome inet parapet E.J.T. Hoffman E.J.T. Hoffmann demolished Store 385 Denver Colorado 923 16th Street S.H. Kress & Co photograph |