Photo Record
Metadata
Title |
Aisles of Merchandise |
Object Name |
Print, Photographic |
Collection |
S.H. Kress & Company |
Catalog Number |
1989.13.1.377b |
Description |
Print, Photographic; B&W; photo of interior of store taken at elevated level; picture shows a view of the merchandise area looking diagonally along one of the cross aisles towards a side wall; milk glass lighting fixture hang from the very high ceiling; island merchandise counters are arranged parallel to the street; a row of square support pillars marches towards the back; the tops, decorated with corinthian capitals terminate in horizontal beams; HVAC outlets protrude from ceiling; hand-written inscription on back "Selma Ala"; this may be a contact print from negative for 377a |
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 |
Selma, Alabama |
Additional Notes |
Genesco Store Number: 27 Address: 121 Broad Street Facade Material: Brick, terra cotta Style: Art Deco Primary Building Architect: Edward F. Sibbert Contractors: |
Date |
11-Apr-60 |
Photographer |
Art Craft Studio |
Studio |
Art Craft Studio |
Orig/Copy |
Copy Print |
Medium |
Photographic paper |
Object Category |
8: Communication Artifact |
Donor |
Genesco Inc. |
Notes on Related Objects |
Related Units: 32 photographs, 0.10 inches of documents Book Description: "Edward F. Sibbert was the architect of this two-story Art Deco building, constructed in 1931 to replace an earlier Kress store located on this same site since at least 1916. The façade features floral motifs in polychromed terracotta and geometric-patterned brickwork. Vertical emphasis results from using the windows and spandrels to form bays above each of the four show-windows. The variety store closed in 1980, and the building currently houses a furniture retailer." |
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 two-story Art Deco replacement floral motif polychromed terracotta terra cotta geometric pattern brick bay Store 27 Selma Alabama 121 Broad Street S.H. Kress & Co photograph |