Photo Record
Images
Metadata
Title |
Café |
Object Name |
Print, Photographic |
Collection |
S.H. Kress & Company |
Catalog Number |
1989.13.1.1579 |
Description |
Print, Photographic; Color, interior photo taken at floor level; the picture shows a view looking diagonally at a corner in a luncheonette; free standing upholstered chairs are ranked in front of counter at left, food preparation area is set along wall behind counter; rows of free standing tables are ranged on the other side of the aisle; rooms ends in a blank wall with a very 60's "modernistic" paint job; stamp on back "ANSEL KICKBUSH, PHOTOGRAPHER\TUJUNCA, CALIF. 91042\10037 COMMERCE AVENUE"; inked notation "11/18/71" |
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 |
San Fernando, California |
Additional Notes |
Genesco Store Number: 869 Address: 1004 San Fernando Road Facade Material: 1929 - Terra cotta, brick; 1971 - stucco, tile, plate-glass Style: 1929 - Unknown; 1971 - Pueblo Revival details Primary Building Architect: 1949 - Kress Architectural Staff; 1971 - Unknown Contractors: |
Date |
11/18/1971 |
Photographer |
Ansel Kickbush |
Orig/Copy |
Original Print |
Medium |
Photographic paper |
Object Category |
8: Communication Artifact |
Donor |
Genesco Inc. |
Notes on Related Objects |
Related Units: 26 photographs, 7 plans, 7.5 inches of documents Book Description: "The original building, designed by the Kress architectural staff in 1929, had a little-ornamented brick and terracotta façade with all of the typical early elements: two double entrances flanked by show-windows, a horizontal sign above the mezzanine windows, a vertical sign projecting from the second story, a cornice at the roofline, and the logo centered on the parapet. The building suffered extensive damage during an earthquake in 1971 and was demolished. Its replacement, which remained in operation only until 1975, was a one-story building with faintly Pueblo Revival details including a stucco finish, false vigas, tile parapet coping, and glazed tiles around the plate-glass windows." |
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 |
Color photograph of café |
Search Terms |
ornamented brick terracotta terra cotta typical early elements double entrance show window horizontal sign vertical projecting cornice roofline logo parapet damage earthquake replacement demolished one story Pueblo Revival stucco finish false vigas tile coping glazed plate-glass Store 869 San Fernando California 1004 San Fernando Road S.H. Kress & Co photograph |