Clarkson (Ball At Chest), Pitcher, Chicago, from the Gold Coin series (N284) for Gold Coin Chewing Tobacco

Art Historical Context

This vibrant 1887 color lithograph captures John Clarkson, the star pitcher for the Chicago White Stockings, in a poised stance with the ball held at his chest. Produced by D. Buchner & Co. of New York as part of the Gold Coin series (N284) for Gold Coin Chewing Tobacco, the small card was designed to be tucked into tobacco packages as a promotional giveaway. Such trade cards helped popularize baseball during its formative professional era, turning players into household names while encouraging repeat purchases of chewing tobacco. The commercial lithograph technique allowed for bright, affordable reproduction of drawings, making these early baseball cards both accessible and collectible. Measuring just over three by one-and-three-quarter inches, the print reflects the growing intersection of sports, advertising, and popular culture inilded Age America. Today it forms part of the Metropolitan Museum’s Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, preserving these ephemeral objects as valuable records of both athletic history and graphic design.

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...