Connecticut Street Armory - Table of Contents  ................   Public Art - Table of Contents


"American Doughboy 'Over the Top' to Victory"
Connecticut Street Armory
184 Connectictut Street at Niagara

John Paulding, sculptor
Biographical information beneath photos


Note statue to the left of the flagpole






"... the owner of American Art Bronze Foundry in Chicago, Illinois (the foundry Paulding used), that he sued Viquesney in 1922 for copyright infringement..." (see below)







Rectangular bedroll backpack with a bayonet scabbard on the side






Grenade





Wears a square gas mask pouch on his chest, a cartridge belt, canteen, mess kit, and first aid kit




Bayoneted 1903 Springfield rifle




Puttees -wrapped leggings







John Paulding (April 5, 1883–1935) was an American sculptor best remembered for his World War I memorials.

Paulding was born in Darke County, Ohio. He studied sculpture at the Art Institute of Chicago and was to remain in Chicago until his death at an early age in 1935.

At least two of his World War I memorials became very popular and casts of them can be found in many places throughout the United States.

Paulding and sculptor E. M. Viquesney both produced a very similar World War I monument within a few months of each other, resulting in various copyright violation lawsuits. To this day it takes a fairly discerning eye to differentiate between the two statues.

Ernest Moore Viquesney (August 5, 1876 - October 4, 1946) was an American sculptor best known for his very popular World War I monument Spirit of the American Doughboy.

The sculpture was installed in front of many American city halls and courthouses and in public parks and cemeteries in the years 1920 through 1940; the exact number may never be determined, but there are approximately 140 extant today, in 38 different states.

- Wikipedia: E. M. Viquesney  (online Jan. 2014)
The Doughboy "War": E. M. Viquesney VS. John Paulding

John Paulding beat E. M. Viquesney to the copyright office by five months in 1920 (which might have been the basis for a copyright infringement lawsuit filed against Viquesney in 1922). But by using flamboyant advertising and sales tactics, and cheaper materials and construction methods, Viquesney was soon able to overshadow Paulding, unfortunately leading to the misconception in later years that Paulding was the"copycat".

In fact, they were similar enough in the mind of Jules Berchem, the owner of American Art Bronze Foundry in Chicago, Illinois (the foundry Paulding used), that he sued Viquesney in 1922 for copyright infringement, claiming Viquesney's and Paulding's statues were "so similar as to deceive the general public".

Even years later, Viquesney and AABF were still carrying on an ad war, with the latter touting the superiority of genuine cast bronze over Viquesney's cheaper stamped sheet copper.

Thus, if the statue you are looking at has an American Art Bronze Foundry logo on the base, it is not a Viquesney Doughboy.

See also: Earl D. Goldsmith, "The Spirit of the American Doughboy" (online Jan. 2014)



Photos and their arrangement © 2015 Chuck LaChiusa
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