The Plunger

Victor Animatograph Co. · 1920–1930

This hand-colored lantern slide shows the “The Plunger,” a sculpture created by R. Tait McKenzie in 1925 and given to the International YMCA College (now Springfield College) by Herbert L. Pratt. Mifflin Armstrong, a University of Pennsylvania swimmer, posed for the sculpture in 1922 in McKenzie’s summer studio, then located in Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. The figure for “The Plunger” was first executed as a sketch from 1911 titled “The Diver.” Dubuc wrote about the statue, “The splendid virility of the poised body . . . shows at his best the American athlete, a subject dear to the sculptor’s heart.” Springfield College owns several bronze sculptures by McKenzie, including “The Competitor” (1906), “The Relay Runner” (1910), “The Joy of Effort” (1912), “The Boy Scout” (1914), and “The Plunger” (1925). Additionally, the college owns three medals designed and created by McKenzie. These include “The Luther Halsey Gulick Memorial Medal” (1923), “The Shield of Athletes” (originally “The Olympic Buckler,” 1932), and “The Three Punters” (1932-1933). In 2008, Springfield College hosted an exhibition of McKenzie’s work, entitled “R. Tait McKenzie (1867-1938): Foremost Sculptor of Sport Art.” In 1913, Springfield College awarded McKenzie an honorary degree. That same year, McKenzie donated four photographs of his most famous works to the Springfield College: “The Competitor,” “The Onslaught,” “The Athlete,” and “The Joy of Effort.” The school hung these works in the recently-built Marsh Memorial Library and wrote of his donation, “This choice gift is a reminder of the many walls-spaces in the larger rooms and galleries waiting for really meritorious pictures.” It is not known at this time where these prints are. For more information on R. Tait Mckenzie, see: https://springfield.as.atlas-sys.com/agents/people/720