Spirit of the American Doughboy facts for kids
The Spirit of the American Doughboy is a famous statue created by E. M. Viquesney. It was designed to honor the brave soldiers who fought in World War I. These statues were made in large numbers during the 1920s and 1930s and sent to towns all over the United States. It was the most popular type of statue for this purpose, and many smaller versions and related items were also made. People often just call it The Doughboy.
What is a Doughboy?
The statue shows a "doughboy," which was a nickname for an American soldier during World War I. He is walking through a battlefield with broken tree stumps and barbed wire. He holds his rifle in his left hand and a hand grenade high in his right hand. This strong design and the statue's affordable price made it very popular.
More than 150 copies of this statue were placed in towns and cities across the country as memorials. You can find them in many places like cemeteries, town squares, parks, and outside museums. It's said to be one of the most-seen outdoor statues in the U.S., right after the Statue of Liberty!
The very first Doughboy statue was finished in 1921 in Nashville, Georgia. However, the first one to be put in place was at Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina.
Mini Statues and Collectibles
Because the statue was so popular, it even started a trend in home decorating during the 1920s! Viquesney made thousands of smaller copies of the Doughboy statue. These were often made from a metal called pot metal.
You could also find Doughboy lamps, where the statue held a light bulb and lampshade in his raised hand. There were also candlesticks, plaques, and even smaller 6-inch versions of the statue. Some less expensive versions were made from plaster. These items were produced from 1921 into the late 1930s. Over time, many of these collectibles were lost or broken, so the ones that remain in good condition are now special items for collectors.
Other Statues by Viquesney
Viquesney also created another statue to go with the Doughboy, called Spirit of the American Navy. This statue showed a sailor holding his cap up in his right hand. However, this sailor statue was much less popular than the Doughboy. Only seven of them were made. All the known Navy statues are usually found next to a Doughboy statue, or very close by.
There was also a different version of the Doughboy that held a large artillery shell with both hands instead of a grenade. This one was even rarer. Viquesney also designed other poses for doughboy statues, but most of these were only drawings and were never made into full-sized statues.
