Photo Record
Images
Metadata
Title |
Air Conditioner on Roof |
Object Name |
Print, Photographic |
Collection |
S.H. Kress & Company |
Catalog Number |
1989.13.1.405 |
Description |
Print, Photographic; B&W; snapshot taken on the roof; pictures depicts two large air conditioner like units mounted on short stilts; the top of a skylight is visible at left; hand-printed inscription on back "Douglas, Ariz.\11-7-48\Comfort Air Washers\mounted on roof\front view showing\aur inlet screens"; rubber stamps: "RECEIVED\NOV 23 48; "347. |
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 |
Douglas, Arizona |
Additional Notes |
Genesco Store Number: 765 Address: 901 G Street Facade Material: 1916 - cast-iron, plate-glass, stucco; 1960s - porcelain enamel panels Style: Classic Revival details Primary Building Architect: Seymour Burrell Contractors: |
Date |
7-Nov-48 |
Photographer |
Unknown |
Orig/Copy |
Original Print |
Medium |
Photographic paper |
Object Category |
8: Communication Artifact |
Donor |
Genesco Inc. |
Notes on Related Objects |
Related Units: 33 photographs, 35 plans Book Description: "This store's original 1916 façade consisted of cast-iron and plate-glass at street level, with Classical Revival details ornamenting the stuccoed second floor and parapet. Architect Seymour Burrell also produced an alternate plan for the same design in brick and stone instead of the less expensive stucco. In the early 1960s, new show-windows, entrances, and signs were installed, and the facade was covered with porcelain enamel panels, blocking all windows above the first floor. The building now holds two retail businesses." |
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 details |
Search Terms |
Seymour Burrell stucco cast iron plate glass porcelain enamel panels brick stone Classic Revival parapet masonry load bearing walls columns 901 G Street G Street Douglas Arizona Store 765 S.H. Kress & Co attached corner location photograph |