Photo Record
Images
Metadata
Title |
Adjoining Building |
Object Name |
Print, Photographic |
Collection |
S.H. Kress & Company |
Catalog Number |
1989.13.1.2647 |
Description |
Print, Photographic; B&W ,exterior photo taken at roof level; the picture shows a view looking diagonally across a gently pitched roof; the masonry wall of a taller abutting building at right occupies most of the picture; photographic inscription in lower right hand corner "Store - ATHENS, GA.\Owner - S. H. Kress & Co.\Architect - Edward F. Sibbert\Contractor - G. H. Caskey & Son\Date - 3-21-41; very faint stamp on back "RECEIVED\IN ARCH. DIV.\MAR ? 41" |
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 |
Athens, Georgia |
Additional Notes |
Genesco Store Number: 105 Address: 153 East Clayton Street Facade Material: Unknown Style: Unknown Primary Building Architect: 1915 - Unknown; 1941 - Edward F. Sibbert Contractors: G.M. Caskey & Son |
Date |
3/21/1941 |
Photographer |
Unknown |
Orig/Copy |
Original Print |
Medium |
Photographic paper |
Object Category |
8: Communication Artifact |
Donor |
Genesco Inc. |
Notes on Related Objects |
Related Units: 36 photographs, 1.5 inches of documents Book Description: "The Athens store opened here in 1915, in the Talmadge Building, with the standard Kress show-windows, entrances, and interior fixtures. An extensive remodeling under Kress architect Edward F. Sibbert in 1941 gave a more modern appearance to the exterior, where flush panels with the Kress name in bright metal pin letters were installed over the facade. A 1965 renovation included interior work, porcelain enamel panels installed over the mezzanine level, and new entrances and show-windows. The store went out of business 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 adjoining building |
Search Terms |
Talmadge Building standard extensive remodel Edward F. Sibbert modern flush panel bright metal pin letters renovation porcelain enamel panel Store 105 Athens Georgia 153 East Clayton Street S.H. Kress & Co photograph |