Photo Record
Images
Metadata
Title |
Aisle of Merchandise Display |
Object Name |
Print, Photographic |
Collection |
S.H. Kress & Company |
Catalog Number |
1989.13.1.313 |
Description |
Print, Photographic; B&W; Photo of store interior taken at elevated level; the view looks diagonally down the length of a side aisle towards the back; two sets of waist high island counters flank the center aisle; additional set of counters and wall displays are visible along side walls; two rows of slender support pillars march towards the back; suspended gas heaters are visible; art-deco style light fixtures hang from the very ceiling; legend imprinted photographically on front of print "Store - Prichard ALA,\Owner - S,H.Kress & Co.\Contractor - Butler & Cobb\Date - 1-27-49"; rubber stamp on back "Received\FEB 15 49", 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 |
Prichard, Alabama |
Additional Notes |
Genesco Store Number: 25 Address: 305 South Wilson Avenue Facade Material: Unknown Style: Unknown Primary Building Architect: Edward F. Sibbert Contractors: Butler + Cobbs |
Date |
January 27,1949 |
Photographer |
Unknown |
Orig/Copy |
Original Print |
Medium |
Photographic paper |
Object Category |
8: Communication Artifact |
Donor |
Genesco Inc. |
Notes on Related Objects |
Related Units: 46 photographs, 18 plans, 9.5 inches of documents Book Description: "Designed by Edward F. Sibbert in 1949, the Prichard store was a one-story brick structure with unadorned metal and plate-glass front door and a small entry from the rear parking lot. The sales area had exposed steel columns, a linoleum floor, and very little trim, but retained some features typical of the more opulent prewar stores, such as an office mezzanine, cash registers throughout the store, and on-site warehousing. 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 the sales floor of Kress |
Search Terms |
Edward F. Sibbert brick metal plate-glass steel linoleum columns floor trim modern Store 25 305 South Wilson Avenue south Wilson Avenue Clark Street Ellis Street Prichard Alabama S.H. Kress & Co photograph |