Photo Record
Images
Metadata
Title |
Façade |
Object Name |
Print, Photographic |
Collection |
S.H. Kress & Company |
Catalog Number |
1989.13.1.1535 |
Description |
Print, Photographic; B&W, exterior photo taken at street level ; the picture shows a view looking head-on at a new store; the facade is covered with terra cotta blocks; two very strong stylized pilasters split the facade into three vertical elements; the spaces between are occupied by large windows with contrasting frames and separated by spandrels made of similar dark material; flower-like medallions above each run of windows add to the art-decor flavor; a large "KRESS" logo is set in the facia above the central bay; a wide canopy covers sidewalk; full height display windows run the width of the store interrupted by two symmetrically disposed entries are deeply inset entries; the insets feature curved plate corners; stamp on back "UNCOLORED PRINT\NUMBER MADE BY\AVERY EDWIN FIELD\490 LIME STREET\RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA"; pencilled notation "April, 1930" Copy print; exact (8 x 10) duplicate photo of original Negative, film: cut film (4" x 5") negative taken from original print used to produce copy print |
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 |
Riverside, California |
Additional Notes |
Genesco Store Number: 861 Address: 3824 Main Street Facade Material: Terra cotta Style: Art Deco Primary Building Architect: John G. Fleming Contractors: |
Date |
4/1930 |
Photographer |
Avery Edwin Field |
Orig/Copy |
Original Print |
Medium |
Photographic paper |
Object Category |
8: Communication Artifact |
Donor |
Genesco Inc. |
Notes on Related Objects |
Related Units: 24 photographs Book Description: "Designed by John G. Fleming, this 1930 Art Deco building has a terracotta-clad façade with geometric ornamentation in the spandrels and on the parapet; foliate capitals top its pilasters. The store closed in 1980. In 1989 architect Stanley Saitowitz, renovating the building for the California Museum of Photography, designed a new interior and extensive façade modifications." |
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 façade |
Search Terms |
John G. Fleming Art Deco terra cotta terracotta geometric ornamentation spandrels parapet foliate capitals pilaster Stanley Saitowitz renovation California Museum of Photography Store 861 Riverside California 3824 Main Street S.H. Kress & Co photograph |