catalog was a business, but Ward saw it as something bigger, an expression of American values.

- Ward wanted to embody through his catalog, that kind of American ideal that anybody can pick it up and then get what they needed.

As long as you had the financial means and a mailing address, you could place an order.

- [Narrator] A banner in the catalog read, "We sell our goods to any person whatever occupation, color, or race."

In the decades after the Civil War, this policy was life-changing for Black customers who were often discriminated against in local stores and could now shop anonymously.

- If you were allowed in, right, then you certainly would've been limited to what you could buy.

The better goods would've been saved for white customers unfortunately.

And the beauty of the catalog is that they didn't know what color you were so long as the cashier's check or money order or the cash was in there when they got your order.

(gentle music) - [Narrator] As a Black consumer base grew, catalog shopping had another advantage.

- [Dilla] Being able to secretly obtain things of value.

And a lot of times houses were targeted because white folks knew who had the nicer things.

There were people who were able to retain some of those nice things because others were not aware that they had 'em and that's because they ordered them through the catalog.

(gentle music) - [Narrator] Ward ran advertisements inviting new customers to request a catalog.

He wanted anyone and everyone to order, even those who could barely read or write or were non-English speakers.

- It said on their order blanks early on, if you don't write the English language too well, don't worry about it.

We have trained linguists here.

They'll be able to figure out what you want.

(train chugging) (train bell clanging) - [Narrator] Packaged goods rolled out of Chicago and arrived at rail stations across the country.

The catalog had now become known as the "Wish Book."

And answer wishes, it did.

Opening up a world of possibilities to rural folk.