Chelsea Doughboy Statue
Chelsea Park
This monument consists of a 14-foot-tall granite stele on which a bronze "doughboy" soldier is displayed. He holds a rifle, has a flag draped over his shoulders, and is depicted as if in the midst of battle.
The derivation of the term "doughboy” to describe an American soldier remains in question. It was first used by the British in the late 18th and early 19th centuries to describe soldiers and sailors who would certainly have been familiar with the fried dough dumplings known as doughboys.
In the United States, the nickname came into use during the Mexican-American War (1846-1848), and was widely popularized during World War I (1914-1918) to refer to infantrymen. Popular conjecture suggests that the name was derived from the soldiers' uniforms. This was either because of the large globular brass shirt buttons, similar in shape to doughboy pastries, or because of the doughy clay that they had to use to clean their white uniform belts.
After the war, in which Americans saw combat in 1917-18, numerous communities commissioned doughboy statues to honor the local war heroes. The Chelsea Doughboy is one of nine such statues erected in New York City's parks.
This memorial was placed in the heart of a working-class tenement district, and was dedicated on April 7, 1921. It was a gift
this page online
Martiny was born in Alsace, France,
and later studied with and assisted the
renowned American sculptor Augustus
Saint-Gaudens (1848-1907), He received
numerous public commissions in New
York City. His other works include portrait
statues and allegorical figures on the
façade of the Surrogate's Court House at
31 Chambers Street, as well as the
Abingdon Square Doughboy, which bears strong
similarities to this monument.
Erected by NYC Parks.
Topics and series. This memorial is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • War, World I. In addition, it is included in the NYC Parks series list. A significant historical date for this entry is April 7, 1921.
Location. 40° 44.97′ N, 73° 59.977′ W. Marker is in Manhattan, New York, in New York County. It is in Chelsea. Memorial is on 9th Avenue near 28th Avenue, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 303 9th Avenue, New York NY 10001, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Chelsea WW I Memorial (here, next to this marker); Church of the Holy Apostles (within shouting distance of this marker); P.O. David Willis Basketball Court
Ephemeral New York website entry
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Credits. This page was last revised on January 31, 2023. It was originally submitted on May 10, 2021, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 180 times since then and 25 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on May 10, 2021, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California.
