 John Paulding's ''Over the Top'', formerly standing in Palmer Park, Chicago, IL, is double-listed, both correctly and incorrectly, on the Smithsonian IAS. |
This statue at Milesburg, PA, is still listed as Viquesney's ''Spirit of the American Doughboy'' on the Smithsonian IAS. Photo: Bill Plack, Herminie, PA.
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ERRORS ON THE SMITHSONIAN I.A.S. LIST
"res ipsa loquitur"
("The thing speaks for itself.")
The following entries are still listed on the Smithsonian Institution's Inventory of American Sculpture (IAS) as locations of E. M. Viquesney's "Spirit of the American Doughboy", even though no such statues are, or ever were, there.
But how could the Smithsonian have so many errors, you might ask?
A little background:
Until his death in 2001, T. Perry Wesley was the premier Viquesney Doughboy researcher. For more than 50 years, he knew more about the subject than anybody. He was considered the authority. But it must be taken into consideration that he was 85 years old and losing both his hearing and eyesight at the time he released his Doughboy Report in 1991. He was operating with limited resources (and no Internet at the time) and depended largely on sometimes unreliable responses to a mail-in campaign to find locations of the statue. As a result, he got a lot of locations wrong, including the ones below. At the time, the Smithsonian Institution was collecting information for its Inventory of American Sculpture (IAS), and wanted whatever data Mr. Wesley had, so he sent it to them, even though much of it wasn't fully verified.
Here's what T. Perry Wesley himself had to say on the subject in a July 1994 follow-up memorandum regarding his 1991 Doughboy Report:
But how could the Smithsonian have so many errors, you might ask?
A little background:
Until his death in 2001, T. Perry Wesley was the premier Viquesney Doughboy researcher. For more than 50 years, he knew more about the subject than anybody. He was considered the authority. But it must be taken into consideration that he was 85 years old and losing both his hearing and eyesight at the time he released his Doughboy Report in 1991. He was operating with limited resources (and no Internet at the time) and depended largely on sometimes unreliable responses to a mail-in campaign to find locations of the statue. As a result, he got a lot of locations wrong, including the ones below. At the time, the Smithsonian Institution was collecting information for its Inventory of American Sculpture (IAS), and wanted whatever data Mr. Wesley had, so he sent it to them, even though much of it wasn't fully verified.
Here's what T. Perry Wesley himself had to say on the subject in a July 1994 follow-up memorandum regarding his 1991 Doughboy Report:
"I lack COMPLETE information, confirmation and photos on several statues known (or thought) to exist. In a project like this, some material is sometimes found later to have been inaccurate. In the search for Viquesney Doughboy statues this has happened in several instances."
Unfortunately, more than just "several": In fact 38 on his original list of 136. Further, many of Mr. Wesley's corrections never got to the Smithsonian, which now says it needs proof that these statues were never there, but how does one prove a negative?
To its credit, the Smithsonian has corrected many entries formerly attributed to Viquesney that were actually Doughboys by John Paulding, but even a couple of those are still included in the list below. And it really isn't the fault of the Smithsonian; all the errors below were simply "passed through" to them by T. Perry Wesley, who at the time believed them to be correct. It is telling, however, that since then (1991), no independent record nor confirmation of a Viquesney Doughboy at any of the locations listed below can be found on the Internet. If they exist, why has nobody taken a picture or written something about them on Memorial or Veterans Day and posted them to the Web after all these years?.
All of the following locations have been subsequently thoroughly researched by "Doughboy Searcher" Earl Goldsmith and others, including myself, Les Kopel. Some are WWI memorials, but not by Viquesney; others are memorials from other wars; but we can assure you, none is "The Spirit of the American Doughboy".
To its credit, the Smithsonian has corrected many entries formerly attributed to Viquesney that were actually Doughboys by John Paulding, but even a couple of those are still included in the list below. And it really isn't the fault of the Smithsonian; all the errors below were simply "passed through" to them by T. Perry Wesley, who at the time believed them to be correct. It is telling, however, that since then (1991), no independent record nor confirmation of a Viquesney Doughboy at any of the locations listed below can be found on the Internet. If they exist, why has nobody taken a picture or written something about them on Memorial or Veterans Day and posted them to the Web after all these years?.
All of the following locations have been subsequently thoroughly researched by "Doughboy Searcher" Earl Goldsmith and others, including myself, Les Kopel. Some are WWI memorials, but not by Viquesney; others are memorials from other wars; but we can assure you, none is "The Spirit of the American Doughboy".
Brighton, Illinois - IAS 47260019 - No such statue here; possibly misreported to T. Perry Wesley by someone who meant Alton, Illinois. Might also be confused with New Brighton, Pennsylvania (below), but no Viquesney Doughboy there, either. This record should be deleted from the Smithsonian IAS file.
Chicago, Illinois (Palmer Park, photo above, left) - IAS 47260021 - The only statue to stand here was John Paulding's "Over the Top", which disappeared sometime after 1982. But the Smithsonian actually already had a correct original record (complete with a photo!); it wasn't until it was erroneously reported again by T. Perry Wesley as a Viquesney in 1991, that the Smithsonian added record 47260021 for the same statue into its IAS database. This resulted in one correct original record and one bogus record for a phantom Viquesney statue now being on file. Newspaper articles from the time mention only one Doughboy statue in Palmer Park, and park officials knew there was only one Doughboy statue ever there; they just thought it was a Viquesney until contacted by Doughboy Searcher Earl Goldsmith. Smithsonian IAS record 47260021 needs to be deleted.
Rockville, Indiana - IAS 47260032 - Although there is a Doughboy statue here, it's in a completely different pose, and by a different artist, Theodore F. Gaebler. Just as with Palmer Park above, this statue was already on file with the Smithsonian, and thus again, there are two IAS records, one correct and one for a nonexistent phantom Viquesney. Photos of the statue can be seen at the Historical Marker Database and on the correct Smithsonian record. We're surprised T. Perry Wesley got this one wrong; the statue is less than an hour's drive away from where he lived in Spencer, Indiana. If he, for whatever reason, couldn't drive to it himself, he could easily have had someone else check it out for him. Smithsonian IAS record 47260032 needs to be deleted.
Springfield, Kentucky - IAS 47260049 - No such statue here, although there is a WWI monument in town that might have been misreported to T. Perry Wesley as such. It might also have been misreported by someone who meant Winchester, Kentucky (both are the names of rifles as well as cities). Smithsonian IAS record 47260049 needs to be deleted.
Port Huron, Michigan - IAS 47260054 - Right sculptor, wrong statue, wrong war; it's Viquesney's WWII "Spirit of the Fighting Yank" from 1943. This IAS record needs to be corrected by the Smithsonian.
Palisades Park, New Jersey - IAS NJ000149 - This Doughboy statue is posed with an underhand throwing position of the grenade, and there are no tree stumps on the base; Viquesney's "Spirit of the American Doughboy" is always posed with an overhand grenade throw, and the metal versions always have two hallmark tree stumps on the base. This IAS record needs to be corrected by the Smithsonian.
Verona, New Jersey - IAS 47260072 - Identical to the Doughboy in Palisades Park, NJ. Possibly confused with, or misreported to T. Perry Wesley by someone who meant Verona, Pennsylvania. This IAS record needs to be corrected by the Smithsonian. Both this Doughboy and the one above are identical to yet a third one called the Highbridge Doughboy that once stood in The Bronx, New York. A photo of the Verona, New Jersey Doughboy can be seen at Flickr.com. and at photos.nj.com.
Huron, New York - IAS 47260075 - Not here. The location was originally listed by T. Perry Wesley as "Port Huron", New York, but there is no such city in that state, so naturally there couldn't be a Viquesney Doughboy "there". After we brought this disturbing fact to the Smithsonian's attention, all they did was "correct" the location to just "Huron", New York, apparently assuming without proof that that's what T. Perry Wesley must have meant. Further, the supposed owner of the statue is listed as the "Veterans Cemetery, Huron, New York". But a search of Findagrave.com and elsewhere shows no record of any such cemetery in Huron. We think this entry is confused with the Viquesney WWII "Fighting Yank" statue at Port Huron, Michigan (above), which is in a veterans cemetery. This record should be deleted from the Smithsonian IAS file, as it's completely screwed up.
Rochester, New York - IAS 47260076 - No such statue here. Possibly confused with earlier war memorials in the city. This IAS record should be deleted from the Smithsonian IAS file.
Martins Ferry, Ohio - IAS 47260081 - It's John Paulding's "Over the Top". Photo-confirmed at Geocaching.com (where it was mistakenly ID'd as a Viquesney). Running instead of walking stance, no tree stumps on base, clenched fist instead of grenade, right foot off the base with same leg supported by a brace. T. Perry Wesley himself later corrected this one with the remark: "None there". This IAS record needs to be corrected by the Smithsonian.
Tyrone, Oklahoma - IAS 47260093 - A Doughboy statue, but in a different pose; confirmed on-site by "Doughboy Searcher" Earl Goldsmith. Erroneously reported as a Viquesney by T. Perry Wesley. The Smithsonian IAS record needs to be corrected. A photo of the statue can be seen at flickr.com and at the Historical Marker Society of America, where it is still misidentified as "The Spirit of the American Doughboy".
Milesburg, Pennsylvania - IAS 47260097 - A Doughboy statue, but in a different pose; photo-confirmed by "Doughboy Searcher" Bill Plack and shown above, right. Possibly confused with Logan, West Virginia's Viquesney Doughboy on Midelburg Island. This IAS record needs to be corrected by the Smithsonian.
Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania - IAS 47260098 - Another double entry: The Smithsonian already had a correct IAS record for this statue, but it was erroneously reported again by T. Perry Wesley as a Viquesney Doughboy. Thus there are now two Smithsonian IAS records, one correct and one for a nonexistent phantom Viquesney. Webmaster of Mount Pleasant website confirms only one Doughboy statue has ever existed here. Possibly confused with, or misreported to T. Perry Wesley by someone who meant Mount Pleasant, Utah. Smithsonian IAS record 47260098 needs to be deleted.
New Brighton, Pennsylvania - IAS 47260099 - There is a Doughboy statue here, but not Viquesney's; photo confirmed by "Doughboy Searcher" Bill Plack and online. There is also a WWI memorial at New Britain, Pennsylvania, but it's a small pavilion, not a Doughboy statue. This Smithsonian IAS record should be corrected to reflect a different statue and sculptor. The location was originally listed by T. Perry Wesley as "New Britton", but as with "[Port] Huron", New York (above), there is no such city in Pennsylvania. The Smithsonian corrected the spelling, but there is still no Viquesney Doughboy at either New Brighton or New Britain, Pennsylvania.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - IAS 47260100 - Long mistaken for a Viquesney, this is John Paulding's "Over the Top". It is correctly identified on the Philadelphia Public Art website. Also, the Smithsonian record shows a creation date of 1919 and a dedication date of May 30, 1920, but Viquesney didn't complete work on his first "Spirit of the American Doughboy until January 1921; the story was carried in the local Americus, Georgia newspaper. The Smithsonian record describes the statue as "holding a grenade", but photos of it show it clearly does not. Instead, it has the closed fist and right leg support brace of Paulding's Model 2043-A Doughboy. This Smithsonian IAS record needs to be corrected.
Brownsville, Tennessee - IAS 47260103 - No such statue on courthouse lawn, where it was supposedly reported to be, and nobody can remember any such statue in Brownsville. Photo-confirmed by Flickr.com member "Courthouselover" who is on the lookout for Viquesney Doughboys and would have photographed it if he had seen it at the Brownsville Courthouse. His photo shows another military monument there. Smithsonian IAS record 47260103 should be deleted.
Houston, Texas - IAS 47260110 - No such statue here, verified by Texas resident and "Doughboy Searcher" Earl Goldsmith. Here's what we think happened: There's a Viquesney Doughboy at Muncie, Indiana's Elm Ridge Cemetery. The cemetery is administered by Service Corporation International of Houston, Texas. Thus we think T. Perry Wesley (or someone) may have gotten the idea the Viquesney Doughboy statue itself was in Houston. We even have an Art Inventories Catalog sheet (see bottom of page) sent to us by the Smithsonian for this supposed Houston Doughboy, complete with a photo ... of the Muncie, Indiana Doughboy! IAS record 47260110 needs to be deleted, as it, like [Port] Huron, New York (above), is totally snafu'd.
Victoria, Texas - IAS 47260113 - No such statue here; confirmed by Texas resident and "Doughboy Searcher" Earl Goldsmith, who was actually escorted around town by the local police to help him look for it . Possibly misreported to T. Perry Wesley by someone who meant Vernon, Texas. This Smithsonian IAS record should be deleted.
Hillsville, Marion, and Wytheville, Virginia - IAS 47260117, 47260118, and 47260120 - No such statue, nor any record of it, can be found in any of these towns. All three Smithsonian IAS records should be deleted.
Seattle, Washington - IAS 47260122 - A famous statue by Alonzo Victor Lewis, "American Doughboy Bringing Home Victory". It now stands in Evergreen Washelli Cemetery, not in front of the Opera House (where it was moved from in 1998). Once again, the Smithsonian already had a correct IAS record for this sculpture but it was erroneously reported again as a Viquesney by T. Perry Wesley. Thus there are two Smithsonian records, one correct and one for a phantom Viquesney. Smithsonian IAS record 47260122 needs to be deleted. See page at flickr.com for more information.
Cody, Wyoming - IAS 47260133 - First reported by T. Perry Wesley to be at Cody, but no such statue, nor any record of it, could be found by local historical society. Smithsonian IAS record 47260133 needs to be deleted.
Chicago, Illinois (Palmer Park, photo above, left) - IAS 47260021 - The only statue to stand here was John Paulding's "Over the Top", which disappeared sometime after 1982. But the Smithsonian actually already had a correct original record (complete with a photo!); it wasn't until it was erroneously reported again by T. Perry Wesley as a Viquesney in 1991, that the Smithsonian added record 47260021 for the same statue into its IAS database. This resulted in one correct original record and one bogus record for a phantom Viquesney statue now being on file. Newspaper articles from the time mention only one Doughboy statue in Palmer Park, and park officials knew there was only one Doughboy statue ever there; they just thought it was a Viquesney until contacted by Doughboy Searcher Earl Goldsmith. Smithsonian IAS record 47260021 needs to be deleted.
Rockville, Indiana - IAS 47260032 - Although there is a Doughboy statue here, it's in a completely different pose, and by a different artist, Theodore F. Gaebler. Just as with Palmer Park above, this statue was already on file with the Smithsonian, and thus again, there are two IAS records, one correct and one for a nonexistent phantom Viquesney. Photos of the statue can be seen at the Historical Marker Database and on the correct Smithsonian record. We're surprised T. Perry Wesley got this one wrong; the statue is less than an hour's drive away from where he lived in Spencer, Indiana. If he, for whatever reason, couldn't drive to it himself, he could easily have had someone else check it out for him. Smithsonian IAS record 47260032 needs to be deleted.
Springfield, Kentucky - IAS 47260049 - No such statue here, although there is a WWI monument in town that might have been misreported to T. Perry Wesley as such. It might also have been misreported by someone who meant Winchester, Kentucky (both are the names of rifles as well as cities). Smithsonian IAS record 47260049 needs to be deleted.
Port Huron, Michigan - IAS 47260054 - Right sculptor, wrong statue, wrong war; it's Viquesney's WWII "Spirit of the Fighting Yank" from 1943. This IAS record needs to be corrected by the Smithsonian.
Palisades Park, New Jersey - IAS NJ000149 - This Doughboy statue is posed with an underhand throwing position of the grenade, and there are no tree stumps on the base; Viquesney's "Spirit of the American Doughboy" is always posed with an overhand grenade throw, and the metal versions always have two hallmark tree stumps on the base. This IAS record needs to be corrected by the Smithsonian.
Verona, New Jersey - IAS 47260072 - Identical to the Doughboy in Palisades Park, NJ. Possibly confused with, or misreported to T. Perry Wesley by someone who meant Verona, Pennsylvania. This IAS record needs to be corrected by the Smithsonian. Both this Doughboy and the one above are identical to yet a third one called the Highbridge Doughboy that once stood in The Bronx, New York. A photo of the Verona, New Jersey Doughboy can be seen at Flickr.com. and at photos.nj.com.
Huron, New York - IAS 47260075 - Not here. The location was originally listed by T. Perry Wesley as "Port Huron", New York, but there is no such city in that state, so naturally there couldn't be a Viquesney Doughboy "there". After we brought this disturbing fact to the Smithsonian's attention, all they did was "correct" the location to just "Huron", New York, apparently assuming without proof that that's what T. Perry Wesley must have meant. Further, the supposed owner of the statue is listed as the "Veterans Cemetery, Huron, New York". But a search of Findagrave.com and elsewhere shows no record of any such cemetery in Huron. We think this entry is confused with the Viquesney WWII "Fighting Yank" statue at Port Huron, Michigan (above), which is in a veterans cemetery. This record should be deleted from the Smithsonian IAS file, as it's completely screwed up.
Rochester, New York - IAS 47260076 - No such statue here. Possibly confused with earlier war memorials in the city. This IAS record should be deleted from the Smithsonian IAS file.
Martins Ferry, Ohio - IAS 47260081 - It's John Paulding's "Over the Top". Photo-confirmed at Geocaching.com (where it was mistakenly ID'd as a Viquesney). Running instead of walking stance, no tree stumps on base, clenched fist instead of grenade, right foot off the base with same leg supported by a brace. T. Perry Wesley himself later corrected this one with the remark: "None there". This IAS record needs to be corrected by the Smithsonian.
Tyrone, Oklahoma - IAS 47260093 - A Doughboy statue, but in a different pose; confirmed on-site by "Doughboy Searcher" Earl Goldsmith. Erroneously reported as a Viquesney by T. Perry Wesley. The Smithsonian IAS record needs to be corrected. A photo of the statue can be seen at flickr.com and at the Historical Marker Society of America, where it is still misidentified as "The Spirit of the American Doughboy".
Milesburg, Pennsylvania - IAS 47260097 - A Doughboy statue, but in a different pose; photo-confirmed by "Doughboy Searcher" Bill Plack and shown above, right. Possibly confused with Logan, West Virginia's Viquesney Doughboy on Midelburg Island. This IAS record needs to be corrected by the Smithsonian.
Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania - IAS 47260098 - Another double entry: The Smithsonian already had a correct IAS record for this statue, but it was erroneously reported again by T. Perry Wesley as a Viquesney Doughboy. Thus there are now two Smithsonian IAS records, one correct and one for a nonexistent phantom Viquesney. Webmaster of Mount Pleasant website confirms only one Doughboy statue has ever existed here. Possibly confused with, or misreported to T. Perry Wesley by someone who meant Mount Pleasant, Utah. Smithsonian IAS record 47260098 needs to be deleted.
New Brighton, Pennsylvania - IAS 47260099 - There is a Doughboy statue here, but not Viquesney's; photo confirmed by "Doughboy Searcher" Bill Plack and online. There is also a WWI memorial at New Britain, Pennsylvania, but it's a small pavilion, not a Doughboy statue. This Smithsonian IAS record should be corrected to reflect a different statue and sculptor. The location was originally listed by T. Perry Wesley as "New Britton", but as with "[Port] Huron", New York (above), there is no such city in Pennsylvania. The Smithsonian corrected the spelling, but there is still no Viquesney Doughboy at either New Brighton or New Britain, Pennsylvania.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - IAS 47260100 - Long mistaken for a Viquesney, this is John Paulding's "Over the Top". It is correctly identified on the Philadelphia Public Art website. Also, the Smithsonian record shows a creation date of 1919 and a dedication date of May 30, 1920, but Viquesney didn't complete work on his first "Spirit of the American Doughboy until January 1921; the story was carried in the local Americus, Georgia newspaper. The Smithsonian record describes the statue as "holding a grenade", but photos of it show it clearly does not. Instead, it has the closed fist and right leg support brace of Paulding's Model 2043-A Doughboy. This Smithsonian IAS record needs to be corrected.
Brownsville, Tennessee - IAS 47260103 - No such statue on courthouse lawn, where it was supposedly reported to be, and nobody can remember any such statue in Brownsville. Photo-confirmed by Flickr.com member "Courthouselover" who is on the lookout for Viquesney Doughboys and would have photographed it if he had seen it at the Brownsville Courthouse. His photo shows another military monument there. Smithsonian IAS record 47260103 should be deleted.
Houston, Texas - IAS 47260110 - No such statue here, verified by Texas resident and "Doughboy Searcher" Earl Goldsmith. Here's what we think happened: There's a Viquesney Doughboy at Muncie, Indiana's Elm Ridge Cemetery. The cemetery is administered by Service Corporation International of Houston, Texas. Thus we think T. Perry Wesley (or someone) may have gotten the idea the Viquesney Doughboy statue itself was in Houston. We even have an Art Inventories Catalog sheet (see bottom of page) sent to us by the Smithsonian for this supposed Houston Doughboy, complete with a photo ... of the Muncie, Indiana Doughboy! IAS record 47260110 needs to be deleted, as it, like [Port] Huron, New York (above), is totally snafu'd.
Victoria, Texas - IAS 47260113 - No such statue here; confirmed by Texas resident and "Doughboy Searcher" Earl Goldsmith, who was actually escorted around town by the local police to help him look for it . Possibly misreported to T. Perry Wesley by someone who meant Vernon, Texas. This Smithsonian IAS record should be deleted.
Hillsville, Marion, and Wytheville, Virginia - IAS 47260117, 47260118, and 47260120 - No such statue, nor any record of it, can be found in any of these towns. All three Smithsonian IAS records should be deleted.
Seattle, Washington - IAS 47260122 - A famous statue by Alonzo Victor Lewis, "American Doughboy Bringing Home Victory". It now stands in Evergreen Washelli Cemetery, not in front of the Opera House (where it was moved from in 1998). Once again, the Smithsonian already had a correct IAS record for this sculpture but it was erroneously reported again as a Viquesney by T. Perry Wesley. Thus there are two Smithsonian records, one correct and one for a phantom Viquesney. Smithsonian IAS record 47260122 needs to be deleted. See page at flickr.com for more information.
Cody, Wyoming - IAS 47260133 - First reported by T. Perry Wesley to be at Cody, but no such statue, nor any record of it, could be found by local historical society. Smithsonian IAS record 47260133 needs to be deleted.
There are also duplicate records for the correctly identified Viquesney Doughboy at Lancaster, Pennsylvania (47260095, and 76008146). The first is more complete; the second could be deleted.
Below: An Art Inventories Catalog sheet sent to us by the Smithsonian, detailing the "Houston, Texas Doughboy" ... except that the accompanying photo is that of the Viquesney Doughboy in Muncie, Indiana!
