Photo Record
Images
Metadata
Title |
Back Parking Lot |
Object Name |
Print, Photographic |
Collection |
S.H. Kress & Company |
Catalog Number |
1989.13.1.1288 |
Description |
Print, Photographic; B&W; print of a photo of an exterior taken at street level; the picture shows a view looking head-on at the back of the new store as seen from across the full width of the parking lot across the alley; sign on parking lot fence promises one hour free parking for Kress customers; the poured concrete facade features a row of small windows across the width of the second story; a sign that reads "5-10-25c STORE S. H. KRESS & CO. 5-10-25c STORE" spans the width of the building just above the loading door at left; large sign painted on penthouse "KRESS\5-10-25c\STORE|; photographic inscription on print "62530", ; stamp on back "HAWTHORNE STUDIOS\COMMERCIAL PHOTOGRAPHERS\Crystal Clear Prints\650 BENDIX BUILDING\LOS ANGELES 15 - CALIFORNIA\PROSPECT"; pencilled notation "Glendale, Calif\10/4/52 |
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 |
Glendale, California |
Additional Notes |
Genesco Store Number: 817 Address: 225 North Brand Boulevard Facade Material: Reinforced concrete Style: Unknown Primary Building Architect: Kress Architectural Staff Contractors: |
Date |
10/4/1952 |
Photographer |
Hawthorne Studios |
Studio |
Hawthorne Studios |
Orig/Copy |
Original Print |
Medium |
Photographic paper |
Object Category |
8: Communication Artifact |
Donor |
Genesco Inc. |
Notes on Related Objects |
Related Units: 82 photographs, 16 plans, 12.5 inches of documents Book Description: "The first Glendale store opened in 1923, probably at 145 N. Brand Boulevard. In 1951 a new store designed by the Kress staff was built at this address, one block away. Geometric patterns along the raised central portion of the parapet and horizontal triglyphs above and below the second-floor windows enlivened the reinforced concrete facade, as did the central pylon-mounted vertical sign. Three sets of double doors, each between a pair of show-windows and all sheltered by a marquee, gave entry to the store." |
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 back parking lot |
Search Terms |
geometric pattern raised central parapet horizontal triglyphs windows enliven reinforce concrete pylon mounted vertical sign double doors sheltered marquee entry Store 817 Orange Street 225 North Brand Boulevard 145 North Brand Boulevard north Brand Boulevard stucco modern Glendale California S.H. Kress & Co photograph |