Photo Record
Images
Metadata
Title |
Houseware Sales Area |
Object Name |
Print, Photographic |
Collection |
S.H. Kress & Company |
Catalog Number |
1989.13.1.220 |
Description |
Black and white of undated photographic print picture of basement level merchandise area taken at from stair landing. Part of railing visible in foreground. Display counters hold glasses and other tableware. Merchandise on a table is topped by sign that reads "Grand Opening SPECIAL". A suited man (manager?) is posed in middle foreground facing camera. Plain milk glass fixtures hang from ceiling. Stamp on back: "S.H. KRESS & CO. #11\101 W. MAIN ST.\DOTHAN ALA. 36301" |
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 |
Dothan, Alabama |
Additional Notes |
Genesco Store Number: 11 Address: 101 West Main Street Facade Material: Brick, terra cotta 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: 64 photographs Book Description: "The Dothan store, opened in 1924, is like most early corner shops in that it has only one façade, thus failing to take full advantage of its location. The reserved brick and terracotta front, with the typical double entrances, mezzanine windows, and stepped parapet, was modified during construction of an addition in 1950, when the original show-windows, grills, and portions of the parapet were removed. Although the brick of the addition matches the original structure, the store now has a more modern appearance. Since the variety store closed in 1980, the building has housed retail shops." |
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 interior houseware sales area likely during s |
Search Terms |
houseware sales area basement merchandise stair landing railing display counter glasses tableware table opening special manager plain milk fixture corner shop reserved brick brick terracotta terra cotta double entrances stepped parapet modified addition modern Store 11 Dothan Alabama 101 West Main Street S.H. Kress & Co photograph |