PRESS PHOTOS
Original 1921 press release photos purporting to show Viquesney's miniature Doughboy. However, they're actually photos of the large statue. The rifle appears to be a separate piece. The artist continued to use these photos in his ads even after he made design changes in 1934.
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Although the title "Spirit of the American Doughboy" appeared on the front of the miniature's base, it didn't appear there on the large statues until mid-1934. In this image, the title on the front is just pasted onto the photo.
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The photos above were released to the press by the artist whenever a newspaper needed a photo to include with a story about an upcoming installation or dedication. The photos of the full-scale model were often used in ads for Viquesney's American Doughboy Art Lamp, with a lampshade and electric cord added in, as shown below. In reality, the 12-inch lamp base was much less detailed than the life-size statue.
Deceptive advertising: These ads for Viquesney's American Doughboy Art Lamp show the same images of the full-scale model as in the press photos, but here are made to look like a small table lamp. Note the "Pat. App. For" at the bottom, above. Viquesney tried to patent both his desktop statuette and the lamp, but patents generally apply only to inventions, not works of art. He did manage to secure a copyright on the design.
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