Photo Record
Images
Metadata
Title |
Basement |
Object Name |
Print, Photographic |
Collection |
S.H. Kress & Company |
Catalog Number |
1989.13.1.955 |
Description |
Print, Photographic; B&W; print of building interior taken at ground level ; the picture shows a close up view of some scaffolding in front of a an inside wall; a jackhammer sits on the scaffold; a vertical sliding door in the wall marked "DANGER" may be access to a dumbwaiter; paper tab pasted on right front has typed legend "Store -Calexico, Calif.\Owner -S.H. Kress & Co.\Contractor -Lindgren & Swinerton, Inc.\Date (hand written) Aug 2, 1952; hand written notation on tab "No 2"; stamp on back "RECEIVED\SEP 15 52"; numerous sign-off initials |
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 |
Calexico, California |
Additional Notes |
Genesco Store Number: 809 Address: 244 East Second Street Facade Material: Unknown Style: Mission-influenced Primary Building Architect: John A. Nordbak Contractors: Lindgren & Swinerton, Inc. |
Date |
8/2/1952 |
Photographer |
Unknown |
Orig/Copy |
Original Print |
Medium |
Photographic paper |
Object Category |
8: Communication Artifact |
Donor |
Genesco Inc. |
Notes on Related Objects |
Related Units: 199 photographs, 84 plans, 11 inches of documents Book Description: "The Kress chain came to Calexico in 1928; in 1940 the store occupied part of a Mission-influenced building approached through stuccoed arcades with pressed-tin ceilings. Architect John A. Nordbeck supervised the store's 1952 renovation and expansion. It was renovated and enlarged again in 1978, two years before its sale to McCrory Stores." |
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 basement |
Search Terms |
John A. Nordbeck stucco pueblo Mission-influenced stuccoed arcades pressed tin ceiling McCrory Stores sold purchased 244 East Second Street east Second Street Calexico California Store 809 S.H. Kress & Co photograph |