Rosemann, Center Field, Mets, New York, from the Gold Coin series (N284) for Gold Coin Chewing Tobacco

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of 1880s America with *Rosemann, Center Field Mets, New York*, pocket-sized gem from D. Buchner & Co.'s Gold Coin series (N284 produced in New York in 1887. This color lithograph reproduces an original drawing of Rosemann, the skilled center fielder for the New York Mets—a pioneering professional baseball team. At just 3 1/16 x 1 3/4 inches, it was designed as an insert or trade card for Gold Coin Che Tobacco packages, blending sports hero worship with clever marketing. Lithography, the era's breakthrough for affordable, vivid color printing, allowed mass production of these ephemera, capturing athletes in dynamic poses to fuel baseball's explosive popularity. As one of the earliest baseball card series, it reflects how tobacco companies tapped into the sport's growing cultural fervor, turning players into household names and foreshadowing today's collectibles market. Today, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department as part of The Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, this tiny print offers a window into Gilded Age leisure, commercialization, and the artistry of everyday objects. A delightful snapshot of history in your hand!

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...