Richardson (Hands At Knees), 3rd Base, New York, from the Gold Coin series (N284) for Gold Coin Chewing Tobacco

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 inserted such cards into product packages to encourage brand loyalty and repeat purchases. The Gold Coin series contributed to the birth of baseball card collecting, transforming everyday athletes into household figures long before modern trading cards existed. Richardson’s portrait, one of many in the set, reflects the era’s enthusiasm for professional baseball and the emerging culture of sports celebrity. Today this piece resides in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Burdick Collection, a remarkable gift that elevates commercial prints to objects of historical study. It offers visitors a vivid glimpse into how art, advertising, and leisure intertwined during America’s Gilded Age.

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...