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Secondary sourcePhotograph1920

Unveiling of tablet at Paul Jones statue, 1920

National Photo Company · 1920

A 1920 glass-negative photograph of a ceremony at the John Paul Jones statue, where a woman lays a wreath while sailors stand behind her.

Shows a 1920 ceremony at the Jones statue, part of the public honoring of the naval hero long after his death.

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Black-and-white photograph of a woman in a dark coat and hat laying a wreath with a flag ribbon at a stone monument. Sailors in uniform stand behind her, and a man in a suit is in the background.
National Photo Company Collection, Unveiling of tablet at Paul Jones statue, 1920. Glass negative.

About this source

What it is

This is a glass-negative photograph from 1920 by the National Photo Company Collection. The record titles it as an unveiling of a tablet at the Paul Jones statue and names Miss Sarah Watson, with a question mark about her relationship to the family. The image shows a woman in a dark coat and hat laying a wreath with a flag ribbon at a stone monument. Sailors in uniform stand behind her, and a man in a suit is in the background.

Why it matters

Ceremonies like this one kept Jones in public memory long after his death in 1792. Naval officers, sailors and civilians took part in such events, and the wreath and ribbon show a formal act of remembrance. The photograph reveals how a memorial could draw together a private citizen and the navy.

Look closer

  • Who is taking part in the ceremony, and how do their clothes show their roles?
  • Why might a photographer have chosen to record this moment, and who would have seen the picture?
  • What parts of the event, such as speeches or the crowd beyond the frame, are not visible here?

This photograph is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of John Paul Jones on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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