American Historical Ephemera and Photography

2pp, approx. 6 x 11 in. on "Heroes of the Colored Race" letterhead. Printed letter from "Geo. M. Rewell & Co." with handwritten notation "S.H. Vick Esq." above salutation. Accompanied by cover addressed to "Mr. S.H. Vick / Wilson / N.C." with boldly printed notice, "Active, Wide Awake Colored Agents wanted in / every county in the U.S. to sell / Heroes of the Colored Race / The Greatest, Grandest, most Gorgeous and Magnificent Chart ever Published" and by return envelope addressed to George M. Rewell & Co. at 345 Superior Street in Cleveland, Ohio.

Rewell writes to Vick inquiring about providing additional orders of "Heroes of the Colored Race," the potential money to be earned from sales of the pictures, and special offers to entice Vick to secure additional sales. The letter closes with instructions and a warning: "Remember you must send this letter back with the order & mark the offer you accept. The money must come with the order in all cases. Send by Registered letter or P.O. Order. Delays are dangerous. Moments are golden. Answer quickly."

J. Hoover's "Heroes of the Colored Race" celebrated African American heroes, and was intended for a middle class African American audience to celebrate the victories of Reconstruction. Distributed nationally, the manufacturer utilized agents across the country to sell the print. A young Samuel Hynes Vick (1863-?) was one of those agents. Hynes would later become an influential resident of Wilson, North Carolina. A biography of Vick indicates that he graduated from Lincoln University in the spring of 1884 and commenced teaching. Vick may have sold "Heroes of the Colored Race" for income as he worked his way through college, ceasing his sales upon graduation and full-time employment as a teacher - perhaps to the great disappointment of George Rewell.