Photo Record
Images
Metadata
Title |
Exterior view of Kress back alley |
Object Name |
Print, Photographic |
Collection |
S.H. Kress & Company |
Catalog Number |
1989.13.1.4709 |
Description |
Print, photographic; B&W; exterior photo taken at slighlty elevated level; the picture shows a view of a building taken from across the alley looking almost head-on at the back of a store; the two story building, set in a strip of stores, comprises two slightly different parts; the third at left shows two windows high on the ground floor and on the second story; part at right shows six barred windows on ground an four on second floor; raised loading dock is at base of elevator shaft at right; a roll-up freight door is seen at left flanked by a metal door further to right; inscription in white ink in lower right corner "Date 12-30-40\Owner S. H. Kress Co\Architect Ed F Sibbert\Contractor John Thurman\Kress Store Bartlesville Okla"; stamp on back "RECEIVED\IN ARCH. DIV.\FEB 10 1941" |
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 |
Bartlesville, Oklahoma |
Additional Notes |
Genesco Store Number: 523 Address: 206 Third Street Facade Material: Brick, stone, galvanized-iron Style: Classical Revival details Primary Building Architect: 1909 - Julius H. Zeitner; 1918 - Edward F. Sibbert Contractors: |
Date |
12/30/1940 |
Photographer |
Unknown |
Orig/Copy |
Original |
Medium |
Photographic paper |
Object Category |
8: Communication Artifact |
Donor |
Genesco Inc. |
Notes on Related Objects |
Related Units: 44 photographs, 75 plans Book Description: "In 1909 Kress built this Julius H. Zeitner design with Classical Revival details. An adjoining building, constructed at the same time, was also by Zeitner, and the two were similar--two-story structures with brick and stone facades and ornate galvanized-iron trim. The store incorporated the smaller building in 1918. Edward F. Sibbert designed 1940 renovations that included replacing the three double doors with a central four-door entrance. The location, converted to a Dart Dollar store in 1973, 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 back alley |
Search Terms |
Julius H. Zeitner Classical Revival two-story brick stone ornate galvanized iron trim Edward F. Sibbert renovation Dart Dollar Store 523 Bartlesville Oklahoma 206 Third Street S.H. Kress & Co photograph |