"Preaching" in Providence

This photo shows Evan, book in hand, humorously "preaching" to a statue set atop a gravestone.

When possible, it's interesting to research the locations these photos were taken. Reverse engineering the location for this photo was not easy. The northeast is covered in cemeteries and any useful text on the grave monument is unreadable. Significant research, numerous false positives, and a stroke of inspiration from my research partner led to the discovery.

This photo was taken in Swan Point Cemetery, in Providence, Rhode Island. The monument, on which we could vaguely make out the first name "William" and the first names of his parents, provided barely enough clues to lead us to William Clarke Sayles, who passed away in 1876 just before his twenty-first birthday. William was a student at Brown University, and as you can tell by the monument, came from a wealthy family (his father was a prominent textile manufacturer, state senator, and Brown University trustee). In his memory, his father donated funds to build Sayles Hall on Brown University campus, and a portrait of young William hangs there today.

To reflect his academic background, the bronze statue depicts young William as a young scholar wrapped in classical robes, seated thoughtfully among his books.