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Spirit of the American Doughboy Monument - New Braunfels, TX
Posted by:
Raven
N 29° 42.188 W 098° 07.472
14R E 584688 N 3286211
A Viquesney Spirit of the Doughboy Statue dedicated in 1937 to the WWI veterans of Comal County -- located on the town square grounds of the city of New Braunfels (seat of Comal County), Texas.
Waymark Code: WMMFEX
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 09/12/2014
Views: 13
"The Spirit of the American Doughboy is a pressed copper sculpture by E. M. Viquesney, designed to honor the veterans and casualties of World War I. Mass-produced during the 1920s and 1930s for communities throughout the United States, the statue's design was the most popular of its kind, spawning a wave of collectible miniatures and related memorabilia as well as numerous copies by other artists. Its title is often shortened to "The Doughboy", and in some locales it is nicknamed Iron Mike.
The statue depicts a doughboy walking through shattered tree stumps strung with barbed wire, his rifle in his left hand and his right hand held high above his head, clutching a hand grenade. The aggressive design and affordability of the statue made it extremely popular, and more than 150 copies of it were created for municipal memorials across the nation. The Smithsonian American Art Museum currently lists 159 locations"
Source -- Wikipedia: (
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This particular Doughboy stands by the New Braunfels town plaza in front of the courthouse, and was donated by Mr. and Earnest A. Clousnitzer and his wife in 1937 during that year's Armistice Day celebrations. Mr. Clousnitzer was a local successful businessman who owned the Citizen Ice and Ice Cream company in this area.
The monument has a large US American Legion logo on the front of the base, on which is engraved:
Dedicated
Nov. 11, 1937
to
World War Veterans
of
Comal County
1917 - 1918
Donated by Mr. & Mrs. E. A. Clousnitzer