The E. M. Viquesney "Spirit of the American Doughboy" Database
"ZERO HOUR" (1930)
Following the poor sales of his "Spirit of the American Navy", Viquesney went on to produce other WWI tributes, still hoping they would sell as outdoor memorials. The drawing at left shows how the artist envisioned his "Zero Hour" as a full-scale public monument, but no such examples of it are known. The only outdoor monument closest resembling it is an unsigned, untitled Doughboy statue in Tavares, Florida thought to be by Viquesney due to its unusual sheet copper construction.
"Zero Hour" was available as a plaster miniature, both as a statuette and in at least two versions as a table lamp.
The figure is thought to be derived from Viquesney's earlier United States Infantry Association Trophy.
"Zero Hour" was available as a plaster miniature, both as a statuette and in at least two versions as a table lamp.
The figure is thought to be derived from Viquesney's earlier United States Infantry Association Trophy.
 Miniature ''Zero Hour'' statuette. |
 Miniature ''Zero Hour'' table lamp with crinkle-finish globe. |
Below: Another version of the "Zero Hour" lamp, this one with a cloud-shaped art-deco glass diffuser to give a dramatic backlighting effect. Viquesney featured it in one of his ads.
 Photo: eBay. |
An ad for the lamp at left. Click the image to enlarge.
Although E. M. Viquesney created several designs of his miniature Doughboy with the hope this variety would increase sales, none of them, including "Zero Hour", ever came close to the thousands of the original "Spirit of the American Doughboy" version sold throughout the nation. As you might expect, these other versions are quite rare.
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