A stone look-alike at Eufaula, Alabama. Photo: Eufaula, Alabama Chamber of Commerce.
THE McNEEL MARBLE CO. DOUGHBOYS
There are at least five stone Doughboy statues that look very much like Viquesney's work, but may not be. They are located at Eufaula and Headland, Alabama; Troy, North Carolina; Clarksville, Tennessee; and Texarkana, Texas. All of them strongly resemble the pose of Viquesney's "Spirit of the American Doughboy", but lack the full battle gear (gas mask pouch, field pack, and canteen).
It is known that McNeel Marble Company of Marietta, Georgia, the manufacturer of at least one of these statues (Clarksville), also produced the genuine stone Viquesney Doughboy at Madison, Georgia, thus perhaps connecting the artist in some way to these other statues. However, since none of the first five statues listed above is signed, dated, or copyrighted, it can't be truly determined if Viquesney was the sculptor or designer. He didn't mention any of them in a 1935 list of his memorials.
After Viquesney moved from Americus, Georgia, back to his hometown of Spencer, Indiana, in 1922, did McNeel begin making their own version? Or perhaps did Viquesney actually have something to do with the McNeel design? Nobody knows.
In either case, the identical poses of McNeel's and Viquesney's versions seem highly suspicious.
It is known that McNeel Marble Company of Marietta, Georgia, the manufacturer of at least one of these statues (Clarksville), also produced the genuine stone Viquesney Doughboy at Madison, Georgia, thus perhaps connecting the artist in some way to these other statues. However, since none of the first five statues listed above is signed, dated, or copyrighted, it can't be truly determined if Viquesney was the sculptor or designer. He didn't mention any of them in a 1935 list of his memorials.
After Viquesney moved from Americus, Georgia, back to his hometown of Spencer, Indiana, in 1922, did McNeel begin making their own version? Or perhaps did Viquesney actually have something to do with the McNeel design? Nobody knows.
In either case, the identical poses of McNeel's and Viquesney's versions seem highly suspicious.
