original and largely intact c. 1930's american depression era single-sided "vicks for colds" general store advertising door push plate. the diminutive sign is brightly colored and highly graphical, featuring cobalt blue medicinal products against a cherry red background. the exact sign fabricator is not known. contains minor wear along the edges and around the mounting holes. in 1890 pharmacist lunsford richardson took over the retail drug business of his brother-in-law dr. joshua vick, of selma, greensboro, north carolina. after dr joshua vick saw an ad for vick's seeds, lunsford richardson began marketing vicks family remedies. the basic ingredients of the range included castor oil, linament, 'dead shot' vermifuge. the most popular remedy was croup and pneumonia salve, which was first compounded in 1891, in greensboro. it was introduced in 1905 with the name vick's magic croup salve and rebranded as vaporub in 1912 at the instigation of smith richardson, lunsford's oldest son; smith had gained valuable sales and marketing experience while working for a period in new york and massachusetts after attending college. smith richardson assumed the presidency of the company in 1919 upon his father's death. he flu epidemic of 1918 increased sales of vaporub from $900,000 to $2.9 million in just one year. in 1948, edward mabry became president (the first outside the richardson family) of vicks, then known as the vicks chemical company. measures 7 3/4 x 3 3/4 inches.