1926-1957
HAV-01-403-Z-K-204
GUSN-357891
This collection contains primarily photographic materials; architectural materials; and ephemera related to Kenneth Gray Searss summer home, Grey Pines, in West Dennis, Massachusetts, and his employment with Shreve, Crump & Low. This includes two photographs albums; photographs, architectural materials, and ephemera originally housed in a binder; and loose black-and-white photographs. Subject matter includes Kenneth Gray Searss summer house, Grey Pines, in West Dennis, Massachusetts, and his work as a display manager for Shreve, Crump & Low. The collection is arranged in two series by subject matter. Titles were assigned by the processor.
photograph albums
Modernist
Cape Cod houses
modern North American architecture styles and movements
show-windows
display rooms and spaces
designers
black-and-white photographs
color photographs
advertisements
photograph albums
photographs
4 linear feet (1 Hollinger box, 2 oversized boxes)
An electronic finding aid is available through Historic New Englands Collections Access Portal. A paper finding aid is available in the Library & Archives.
Materials were compiled by Kenneth Gray Sears over the course of his life. They were donated to Historic New England by his nephew, Ken Popp, in 2021.
PC009
Photograph albums collection
2021
PC009.303
A collection of photographic materials; architectural drawings; and ephemera related to the life of Kenneth Gray Sears (1903-1966), specifically his summer home in West Dennis, Massachusetts, and his employment with Shreve, Crump & Low.
Gift
Gift of Ken Popp, 2021
Boston (Suffolk county, Massachusetts)
West Dennis (Barnstable county, Massachusetts)
Sears, Kenneth Gray, 1903-1966 (Compiler)
photograph albums
photographs
Fried, David, 1911-1990
Nickerson, Seth Robert, 1876-1974
Haskell, Arthur C. (Arthur Cushman), 1890-1968
Sears, Kenneth Gray, 1903-1966
Shreve, Crump & Low Company
S. R. Nickerson, Inc.
Photograph
Album
Architecture
Work
Display of merchandise
Advertisement
This collection is available research.
Materials were rehoused for long-term preservation.
Photographs from album 303.D were removed from the catchet portfolio and placed in archival sleeves. They were then placed in acid-free folders for long-term storage.·Materials from the Grey Pines photographs binder were originally housed in a binder in non-archival sleeves. The binder was photographed to demonstrate its original condition. Loose materials from the binder were housed in mylar sleeves and then placed in the following folder: Grey Pines photographs binder [1 of 2]. Pages which were housed in non-archival sleeves were removed and numbered in their original order from 1 to 30. They were then placed in mylar sleeves and housed in the following folder: Grey Pines photographs binder [2 of 2].
Shreve, Crump & Low loose photographs were removed from a cachet portfolio and placed in mylar sleeves.
Acid-free paper was interleaved between the pages of the Shreve, Crump & Low designs album to prevent further degradation.
Delicate materials may be restricted due to their condition. Photographs in the albums show signs of foxing and have begun to detach from their pages.
Collection
HAV-01-403-Z-K-204
Accruals are not expected.
No materials have been removed from this collection.
Materials are entirely in English.
Item identification. Box #. Kenneth Gray Sears collection (PC009.303). Historic New England, Library & Archives.
This collection was processed by Jordan Meyerl, Archives Cataloguer, 2022. The finding aid was updated by Jordan Meyerl, Senior Archives Cataloguer, 2024.
Sears Cash Market collection
Arthur C. Haskell photographic collection, 1910s-1930s
Kenneth Gray Sears (1903-1966) was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to Victor Grey Sears (1876-1955) and Elsie May (Trefry) Sears (1880-1959). He was employed as a display manager at Bostons Shreve, Crump & Low, the oldest purveyor of luxury goods in the United States. He had a summer home in West Dennis, Massachusetts, called Grey Pines. This house was an early example of how to combine modern architectural styles with the traditional Cape Cod architectural style. The house was designed by architect David Fried and built by Seth R. Nickerson. Construction on Grey Pines began in the late 1930s and completed in 1940. As of 2024, the house is still owned by Sears's relatives.
Blake, F. (1941, August 15). Your Home Can Be Modern and Cape Cod Style, Too. Cape Cod \n i720Standard-Times.
Series I. Grey Pines photographic materials, circa 1940
Series II. Shreve, Crump & Low photographic materials, 1926-1957
Historic New England is committed to implementing reparative language description for existing collections and creating respectful and inclusive language description for new collections. If you encounter language in Historic England's Collections Access Portal that is harmful or offensive, or you find materials that would benefit from a content warning, please contact [email protected].
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