Richardson (Hands At Knees), 3rd Base, New York, from the Gold Coin series (N284) for Gold Coin Chewing Tobacco
Medium
Commercial color lithograph reproducing drawing
Dimensions
Sheet: 3 1/16 x 1 3/4 in. (7.7 x 4.5 cm)
Classification
Prints|Ephemera
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, Gift of Jefferson R. Burdick
Accession Number
63.350.222.284.78
Tags
Art Historical Context
This charming 1887 color lithograph captures New York Giants third baseman Richardson in a poised stance, hands resting on his knees as he scans the field. Issued by D. Buchner & Co. as part of the Gold Coin Chewing Tobacco series (N284), the tiny card—measuring just over three by one and three-quarters inches—served as both advertisement and early collectible. Produced through commercial lithography that reproduced a drawn original, it exemplifies the vibrant printed ephemera that helped popularize America’s growing national pastime. In the late nineteenth century, tobacco manufacturers inse...
About the Artist
D. Buchner & Co., New York · 1850–1900
D. Buchner & Co. was a New York-based tobacco manufacturer prominent in the American market during the 1880s, best known today for its Gold Coin Chewing Tobacco brand and the vivid trade cards the company inserted into its product packaging to drive consumer loyalty. The firm was one of numerous tobacco companies that, during the boom years of American commercial printing, recognized the marketing...