The E. M. Viquesney "Spirit of the American Doughboy" Database
Copyright 2003, Doug Blevins. Used by permission.
FAQs Regarding the Miniature Doughboy
Les Kopel
The usual first question I get is, "How much is it worth?" Well, that depends on what condition your Doughboy statuette or lamp is in; most have suffered over the years, due to their being made of a brittle lead alloy. A Viquesney Doughboy statuette or lamp with all its original parts (rifle and bayonet, barbed wire, felt pad, sticker label on the base, and in the case of the lamp, all the foregoing plus an original shade, power cord and plug) can sell for several hundred dollars, but they're not common. A nearly perfect miniature Viquesney Doughboy sold on eBay in December of 2002 for $813, but as more of these have turned up over the years, the prices have dropped drastically to less than a quarter of that. I began tracking these items on eBay in 2002. Several hundred have appeared since then, most missing the bayonet, if not the whole left hand and rifle, but most sellers still try to ask outrageous prices for them. The average selling price seems to hover between $100 and $200.
The next most common question I'm asked is, "How old is it?" If it says "Americus, Georgia" on the back of the base, it's from 1921 - 1925; if it says "Spencer, Indiana", it's from 1926 or later, until the time production ceased, probably around 1942 (for the story of why this change occurred, see The Miniature Doughboys page). However, the more recent Spencer models are far more rare than the earlier Americus ones; fading memories of WWI as years progressed, the Great Depression, and the onset of WWII all combined to slow, and finally kill sales of the Spencer model.
The fact that the copyright date may say 1920 on either Americus or Spencer models has confused some owners. Viquesney issued new copyrights on his large monument at least two more times after 1920, but since the design of the 11.5" statuette stayed much the same throughout its producion (except for the change in the logo from Americus to Spencer), he never bothered to issue any new copyright on it.
"Is the lamp version rarer than the statuette?" Yes, partly because it originally was more expensive than the statuette ($10.85, post-paid, as opposed to $5.00 or $6.00 for the statuette), and partly because the added weight of the light bulb, socket assembly, and shade sitting atop the raised right arm made the lamp version more unstable and highly vulnerable to tipping over and breaking.
"My Doughboy statuette (or lamp) doesn't have a bayonet on the rifle." The bayonet (and often the whole left hand and rifle assembly) is commonly missing. This is because the left hand and rifle were packed separately and had to be attached by the customer, and over the years, they often fell out and got lost. Even if the rifle managed to stay attached, the bayonet almost always got broken off. So common is the missing rifle that one seller on eBay tried to convince buyers that "post-1930 models" of the statuette were sold without it. This is untrue; I have original ads from the mid- and late 1930s showing the statuette illustrated with the rifle just as it was always sold. It wouldn't be a true miniature copy of the large monument without it.
"Is there anybody who can repair or replace parts on my Doughboy?" See the last section of this page, below.
"Is my Doughboy made of bronze?" I've seen these pieces offered on eBay as "bronze" statuettes. While at least two people are known to have made modern bronze copies of Viquesney's miniature Doughboy, none of his original statuettes were made of bronze. Anyone offering an original Viquesney miniature Doughboy on eBay or elsewhere as "bronze" has probably been fooled by the convincing-looking paint or plating finish. The most expensive original statuettes were offered with an "oxidized bronze" plating, but that was as close as they came; Viquesney's large outdoor metal Doughboy monuments were first made of copper, then zinc, but the miniatures were always made of lead alloy. The same holds true for Viquesney's "Imp-O-Luck" medallion; it was made of a similar lead alloy, but I've seen sellers on eBay offering them as "silver".
"Are there any surviving original lamp shades for the Doughboy lamp?" I've only seen two appear on eBay, and one was in tattered pieces. They're extraordinarily rare. The most common shade, with a poppy flower motif, was made of "parchment" paper which fell apart after a few years. An alternate shade made of "silk" was offered, but I've never seen one, except in old photographs (see the Sales Brochure , page 8, on our Viquesney Archive website).
The next most common question I'm asked is, "How old is it?" If it says "Americus, Georgia" on the back of the base, it's from 1921 - 1925; if it says "Spencer, Indiana", it's from 1926 or later, until the time production ceased, probably around 1942 (for the story of why this change occurred, see The Miniature Doughboys page). However, the more recent Spencer models are far more rare than the earlier Americus ones; fading memories of WWI as years progressed, the Great Depression, and the onset of WWII all combined to slow, and finally kill sales of the Spencer model.
The fact that the copyright date may say 1920 on either Americus or Spencer models has confused some owners. Viquesney issued new copyrights on his large monument at least two more times after 1920, but since the design of the 11.5" statuette stayed much the same throughout its producion (except for the change in the logo from Americus to Spencer), he never bothered to issue any new copyright on it.
"Is the lamp version rarer than the statuette?" Yes, partly because it originally was more expensive than the statuette ($10.85, post-paid, as opposed to $5.00 or $6.00 for the statuette), and partly because the added weight of the light bulb, socket assembly, and shade sitting atop the raised right arm made the lamp version more unstable and highly vulnerable to tipping over and breaking.
"My Doughboy statuette (or lamp) doesn't have a bayonet on the rifle." The bayonet (and often the whole left hand and rifle assembly) is commonly missing. This is because the left hand and rifle were packed separately and had to be attached by the customer, and over the years, they often fell out and got lost. Even if the rifle managed to stay attached, the bayonet almost always got broken off. So common is the missing rifle that one seller on eBay tried to convince buyers that "post-1930 models" of the statuette were sold without it. This is untrue; I have original ads from the mid- and late 1930s showing the statuette illustrated with the rifle just as it was always sold. It wouldn't be a true miniature copy of the large monument without it.
"Is there anybody who can repair or replace parts on my Doughboy?" See the last section of this page, below.
"Is my Doughboy made of bronze?" I've seen these pieces offered on eBay as "bronze" statuettes. While at least two people are known to have made modern bronze copies of Viquesney's miniature Doughboy, none of his original statuettes were made of bronze. Anyone offering an original Viquesney miniature Doughboy on eBay or elsewhere as "bronze" has probably been fooled by the convincing-looking paint or plating finish. The most expensive original statuettes were offered with an "oxidized bronze" plating, but that was as close as they came; Viquesney's large outdoor metal Doughboy monuments were first made of copper, then zinc, but the miniatures were always made of lead alloy. The same holds true for Viquesney's "Imp-O-Luck" medallion; it was made of a similar lead alloy, but I've seen sellers on eBay offering them as "silver".
"Are there any surviving original lamp shades for the Doughboy lamp?" I've only seen two appear on eBay, and one was in tattered pieces. They're extraordinarily rare. The most common shade, with a poppy flower motif, was made of "parchment" paper which fell apart after a few years. An alternate shade made of "silk" was offered, but I've never seen one, except in old photographs (see the Sales Brochure , page 8, on our Viquesney Archive website).
Repairs to the Miniature Doughboy
A Doughboy casualty.
I also often get questions regarding broken Doughboys, or ones with missing parts. The most common restoration problem is a missing bayonet or the whole left hand and rifle. Many times I have seen examples where people have made their own poor-looking replacements, having no clue as to what the original looked like.
Any competent antiques restorer should be able to create a replacement, given good reference photos.
Below are some photos of what a complete rifle and bayonet should look like.
Any competent antiques restorer should be able to create a replacement, given good reference photos.
Below are some photos of what a complete rifle and bayonet should look like.
