Photo Record
Images
Metadata
Title |
Construction |
Object Name |
Print, Photographic |
Collection |
S.H. Kress & Company |
Catalog Number |
1989.13.1.745 |
Description |
Print, Photographic; B&W; photograph of construction on site of former store taken at ground level; picture shows a view of the corner of the new store; masonry work on side-street wall is up to top of window level; window openings are in place topped by metal lintels; steel framwwork is rising along corner and Main street facade; photographic inscription of front of photo "Store - PINE BLUFF, ARK.\Owner - S. H. Kress & Co.\Architect - Edward F. Sibbert\Contractor - Reid-Naylor\Date - March 15, 1944; stamp on back "ARCHITECTS\MAR 27 1944 B" |
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 |
Pine Bluff, Arkansas |
Additional Notes |
Genesco Store Number: 371 Address: 326 Main Street Facade Material: Brick, glass-block Style: Unknown Primary Building Architect: Edward F. Sibbert Contractors: Reid-Naylor |
Date |
15-Mar-44 |
Photographer |
Unknown |
Orig/Copy |
Original Print |
Medium |
Photographic paper |
Object Category |
8: Communication Artifact |
Donor |
Genesco Inc. |
Notes on Related Objects |
Related Units: 38 photographs, 42 plans, 7 inches of documents Book Description: "A Kress store operated on Second Avenue by 1910, but in 1912 it was on this corner, in an eclectic two-story brick building with a denticulated cornice. In 1940 Kress architect Edward F. Sibbert modified the exterior with a new logo for the façade and a lower parapet. The store suffered extensive fire damage in 1943 and was rebuilt by Sibbert with a simpler, more modern brick and glass-block exterior and an interior with acoustical tile ceiling and simple trim. The store closed 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 construction |
Search Terms |
Edward F. Sibbert brick eclectic two-story denticulated cornice modified exterior logo façade lower parapet extensive fire damage rebuilt simpler glass-block interior acoustical tile ceiling simple trim Modern Store 371 Second Avenue 326 Main Street Main Street Pine Bluff Arkansas S.H. Kress & Co photograph |