MAIN STREET FIVE-AND-DIMES: THE ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE OF S. H. KRESS & CO. November 19, 1998 - January 31, 1999 Overview Main Street Five-and-Dimes: The Architectural Heritage of S. H. Kress & Co. traced the architectural history and significance of one of the foremost chain-store operations of the twentieth century. Organized by the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., the exhibition featured hundreds of photographs and drawings, plus architectural fragments and store merchandise. The items on display provided views of both the Kress design philosophy and the larger phenomenon of discount retailing in America, shedding light on the revolution in consumerism that transformed the way goods are purchased. For many years, as they proliferated across America's main streets, five-and-dime stores were familiar and beloved neighborhood institutions. They literally had something for everyone, marketing both brand name and general merchandise at low prices, including kitchen wares, sewing materials, hardware, clothing, costume jewelry, and candy. Crowds of people crossed their thresholds to meet friends at lunch counters and to buy modest items. Five-and-dime stores became, during the first half of the century in particular, the architectural backdrop for a collective social experience that enhanced Main Street America. The Kress stores, founded by Samuel H. Kress in 1896, have a unique architectural history, thanks in large part to Kress' insistence on good store design. Unlike its competitors, the company maintained an in-house architecture division to design everything from storefronts to lighting. Systematic floor plans with rows of product-laden cases encouraged browsing and provided customers with easy access to merchandise and sales assistance staff. While store interiors were standardized, building exteriors were designed to fit within the architectural context of the streetscape. For example, numerous Kress buildings made references to the history and culture of their communities. The Kress store built in 1939 in San Antonio, Texas, echoed the ornamentation of a Spanish mission. In downtown Miami, a Kress store built in 1938 on Flagler Street incorporated modern, streamlined elements. The architect L. Murray Dixon, Jr., a major proponent of Miami Beach Art Deco architecture, designed the Miami Beach Kress store, built in 1941. Today, the Kress name remains in the paving stones at 1201-1203 Washington Avenue. As a complement to the exhibition, and with the support of the Kress Foundation, the National Building Museum published America's 5 & 10 Cent Stores: The Kress Legacy by Bernice L. Thomas, with Preservation Press, a division of John Wiley & Sons, New York. The book is available for sale through The Wolfsonian museum shop (196 pages, paperback, $21.95). Main Street Five-and-Dimes: The Architectural Heritage of S. H. Kress & Co. was organized by the National Building Museum, Washington, D.C. This traveling exhibition was made possible by a generous grant from the Samuel H. Kress Foundation. Other support was provided by the State of Florida, State of Florida Division of Cultural Affairs, Florida Arts Council, Miami-Dade Cultural Affairs Council, Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners, City of Miami Beach Cultural Arts Council, City of Miami Beach, The Chase Manhattan Foundation, American Express Company, Continental Airlines, and the Arthur F. and Alice E. Adams Foundation. FEATURED IMAGE: Photograph, Fourth Kress Store in Memphis, 1927 9 North Main Street, Memphis, Tennessee E.T.J. Hoffman, architect Courtesy of National Building Museum/ S.H. Kress & Co. Gift of Genesco, Inc. Back to Past Exhibitions Main