Back in 1991, the Kress building was still home to the famous Frederick’s of Hollywood. Hollywood writer Martin Turnball writes that the Kress department store opened in 1947 at 6608 Hollywood Boulevard.
Frederick Mellinger, whose big claim to fame was that he invented the push-up bra, opened his flagship store in the once fancy Kress department store –selling bras, panties, corsets, bedroom slippers, a vast array of hosiery, bridal lingerie, special occasion lingerie, and more.
Established by Samuel Henry Kress, which operated from 1896 to 1981, there were Kress stores with ornamented architecture on “Main Street” in hundreds of cities and towns. In 1934, S.H. Kress opened the department store on Hollywood Boulevard. In 2008, the new owners spent 30 million dollars to restore the historic art deco building. It had a nightclub and dining room that was quite fabulous.
Now it is sadly abandoned with drug dealers out front.
