Photo Record
Images
Metadata
Title |
Exterior view of Kress store front |
Object Name |
Print, Photographic |
Collection |
S.H. Kress & Company |
Catalog Number |
1989.13.1.5692 |
Description |
Print, photographic; exterior B&W photo taken at street level; picture shows view looking at an angle at a one story store in a row of abutting buildings; a full-height display window spans the right three-fourths of the structure; extreme left part is occupied by "Smart & Thrifty" shop ; stamps on back "Kohltfarbers's Studio\3101 Wisconsin Ph 1467J\Baytown A Texas" and "RECEIVED\SEP 19 1949"; pencilled "Baytown, Tex"; inked "front ELEVATION\SMART AND THRIFTY\9-10-49"; many 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 |
Baytown, Texas |
Additional Notes |
Genesco Store Number: 633 Address: 306 West Texas Avenue Facade Material: White stucco, aluminum Style: Unknown Primary Building Architect: Edward F. Sibbert; Kress architectural staff Contractors: |
Date |
9/10/1949 |
Photographer |
Kohltfarber |
Studio |
Kohltfarber |
Orig/Copy |
Original |
Medium |
Photographic paper |
Object Category |
8: Communication Artifact |
Donor |
Genesco Inc. |
Notes on Related Objects |
Related Units: 15 photographs Book Description: "This 1948 building, constructed in a retail area, was probably designed by the Kress architectural staff under Edward F. Sibbert. The façade was white stucco with a simple aluminum marquee, and the interior trim was of lesser quality than that used in pre-war stores. Part of the building, built for sublease, was originally occupied by a women's clothing shop. The store closed in 1974." |
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 Kress store front |
Search Terms |
retail Edward F. Sibbert white stucco aluminum marquee trim pre-war sublease Store 633 Baytown Texas 306 West Texas Avenue S.H. Kress & Co photograph |