Chelsea Park

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Chelsea Park Memorial (Doughboy)

History

This text is part of Parks’ Historical Signs Project and can be found postedwithin the 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 to the City by the Chelsea Memorial Committee and cost $10,000. Designed by architect Charles Rollinson Lamb, the monument’s statue is by the noted sculptor Philip Martiny (1858–1927).

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, located at Abingdon Square, which bears strong similarities to this monument.

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Chelsea Park Memorial (Doughboy) Details

Location: 9th Avenue between 27th and 28th Streets
Sculptor: Philip Martiny
Architect: Charles R. Lamb
Description: Standing figure with integral plinth, on pedestal against integral backing wall
Materials: Figure--bronze; Pedestal and wall--Deer Isle granite
Dimensions: H: 14'3" W: 8' D: 5'6"
Cast: 1921
Dedicated: April 7, 1921
Foundry: Roman Bronze Works, New York
Donor: Chelsea Memorial Committee
Inscription: TO / THE SOLDIERS / AND SAILORS / OF CHELSEA / WORLD WAR / 1914 - 1918 /

Please note, the NAME field includes a primary designation as well as alternate namingsoften in common or popular usage. The DEDICATED field refers to the most recent dedication, most often, butnot necessarily the original dedication date. If the monument did not have a formal dedication, the yearlisted reflects the date of installation.

For more information, please contact Art & Antiquities at (212) 360-8163