Photo Record
Images
Metadata
Title |
Exterior |
Object Name |
Print, Photographic |
Collection |
S.H. Kress & Company |
Catalog Number |
1989.13.1.2778 |
Description |
Print, photographic; B&W, exterior photo taken at street level; the picture shows a view looking at a slight angle at a two-story store set in a row of single floor buildings; the ground floor features a full width and height display window; entry doors are deeply recessed near each edge of the window; corners of inset are curved plate glass; full width white panel appears above the windows; free-standing three dimensional letters spell out "KRESS" across the panel; second story is divided into two bays; three high narrow windows take up most of each bay; terra cotta KRESS logo is set in center of parapet; large notation on back in ink-marker "La Grange, Ga." |
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 |
La Grange, Georgia |
Additional Notes |
Genesco Store Number: 119 Address: 137 Main Street Facade Material: 1913 - Unknown; 1962 - porcelain enamel Style: Unknown Primary Building Architect: Unknown Contractors: |
Date |
c. 1960 |
Photographer |
Unknown |
Orig/Copy |
Original Print |
Medium |
Photographic paper |
Object Category |
8: Communication Artifact |
Donor |
Genesco Inc. |
Notes on Related Objects |
Related Units: 60 photographs Book Description: "This store opened ca. 1913, in a two-story building with decorative vent grills, a heavy denticulated cornice, a parapet raised in the center, and mezzanine stip windows. During a 1962 renovation, its cornice was removed, the resulting void stuccoed, porcelain enamel panels placed over the mezzanine exterior, and a large illuminated Kress sign installed. The store closed 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 exterior |
Search Terms |
two-story decorative vent grill denticulated cornice parapet stucco porcelain enamel panel illuminated sign Store 119 La Grange Georgia 137 Main Street S.H. Kress & Co photograph |