Photo Record
Images
Metadata
Title |
Checkout Counters |
Object Name |
Print, Photographic |
Collection |
S.H. Kress & Company |
Catalog Number |
1989.13.1.2410 |
Description |
Print, Photographic; B&W , interior photo taken from slightly elevated level; the picture shows a view looking down at the four checkout counters at a slight angle; large sign above row reads "CHECK OUT\PLEASE PAY HERE"; pay phone booths are directly in front of exit from checkout; double-door store entry is visible at left; stamps on back "S. H. KRESS & CO. #65\1201 WASHINGTON AVE.\MIAMI BEACH 29 FLA.", "KENNETH KIPNIS\Commercial Photographer\1370 WASHINGTON AVE.\MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA" and RECEIVED\JAN 18 57"; 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 |
Miami Beach, Florida |
Additional Notes |
Genesco Store Number: 65 Address: 1201 Washington Avenue Facade Material: Keystone, stucco Style: Art Deco Primary Building Architect: Edward F. Sibbert (interior); L. Murray Dixon (exterior) Contractors: |
Date |
1/18/1957 |
Photographer |
Kenneth Kipnis |
Studio |
Kenneth Kipnis |
Orig/Copy |
Original Print |
Medium |
Photographic paper |
Object Category |
8: Communication Artifact |
Donor |
Genesco Inc. |
Notes on Related Objects |
Related Units: 60 photographs, 94 plans Book Description: "Constructed in 1941, this store was in an addition to the Cinema Casino, a large building originally constructed as a casino and then converted to a movie theater. Edward F. Sibbert designed the interior. The exterior, by L. Murray Dixon for the Panama Corporation (the property owner), is a streamlined ARt Deco design that flows smoothly from the Casino Cinema and around the street corner. Its facade is faced with keystone and stucco to match the existing building. The store closed in 1980, and the space has been leased for a variety of commercial uses since then." |
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 checkout counters |
Search Terms |
Cinema Casino movie theater Edward F. Sibbert L. Murray Dixon Panama Corporation streamlined Art Deco keystone stucco leased commercial use Store 65 Miami Beach Florida 1201 Washington Avenue S.H. Kress & Co photograph |