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What Else Did Viquesney Make?
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The following list, compiled by T. Perry Wesley in 1991, shows many of the other pieces that Viquesney produced as well as his Spirit of the American Doughboy. Some of the names are off a bit, but the list is fairly extensive, even if not complete. Note that Mr. Wesley couldn't find any examples of Viquesney's sub-miniature 6" Doughboy statuette; one finally first showed up on eBay in 2003 and has appeared there one or two more times since then. Also notice the reference to the life-size version of The Navy Again at Sea (actually titled The Yanks Again on the Sea); while I've seen a miniature of this work, I've never heard of it placed anywhere as a life-size public monument.
The only monumental example of Viquesney's Imp-O-Luck (photos below) was the 11-foot mock-up that stood atop his studio in Spencer, IN, before it burned down. While this doesn't say much for its value as a good-luck charm, its miniature counterpart in various forms, including a small statuette and pocket piece sold in the hundreds of thousands during the 1920s, and was Viquesney's most successful creation.
Many of the miniature creations listed below can be seen at the Doughboy Database Web site (bottom of external links section in the navigation bar at left).
Mr. Wesley's 1991 list of Viquesney creations.
Viquesney's Imp-O-Luck Statuette
Photo: Stewart Chambers, Elgin, IL.
Although Viquesney was most famous for his Spirit of the American Doughboy statue, the monetary high point of his career came with his creation of a good luck piece he called the Imp-O-Luck, first conceived in 1922 and awarded a patent the next year. It came in many forms, from incense burners to tie clasps, but the keychain pocket piece version below outsold everything else Viquesney had ever created. The local newspaper reported that in just one year, Viquesney's Imp-O-Luck Company logged 80,000 mail orders through the Spencer, IN, post office. One report states that in 1925 there was an 11-foot model of it atop his studio in downtown Spencer, IN.
The Pocket Piece Version of the Imp-O-Luck
