The headlines from the Providence Journal on Wednesday, July 12, 1899 read: “Designs Submitted for the Memorial to be Ready Saturday. Competition Limited to Artists Chosen by Commission.” The memorial mentioned in the headline was the Carrie Brown Memorial Fountain. The artists chosen by the commission were a group of well-known sculptors from all over the world: Herbert Adams of New York, A.E. Appolioni of Rome, Clarke & Spaulding of Weybosset Street in Providence.
The fountain was a gift to the city of Providence in honor of the late Carrie Mathilde Brown from her husband, Paul Bajnotti. Mr. Bajnotti, of Turin, Italy, gave the city $10,000 for the fountain to be erected in Exchange Place. In turn, the Mayor of Providence was to select a panel to choose a design for the fountain that would be worthy of the woman it was memorializing. 
Although all of the invited sculptors had different styles and came from different corners of the globe, they all had one thing in common: they were male. In a follow up article in the Providence Journal a few days later, the submissions were detailed. Most of the invited sculptors had dutifully submitted designs. One entrant, however, had not been officially invited. Enid Yandell, a young Louisville born woman, submitted a design “on her own initiative.” (Caldwell) . Her design was described as:
“…a plaster model, the principal feature of which was the central group, which was symbolical of the struggle of life. Life was symbolized by the figure of a woman, the soul (the spirit) was symbolized by an angel, and earthly tendencies by three male figures. Life is striving to keep the soul, which seeks to escape, and the angel and Life are both held down by earthly tendencies. The mantle of truth flowing from the shoulders of the angel forms the drapery of the group.”
Yandell’s unsolicited entry caused quite the stir around Providence. In the end, her design was chosen: “Miss Yandell was the only woman competing for the award, and as her design was admitted to be of equal artistic merit as the others, it seemed eminently appropriate that it should receive the award, as the fountain was to be given as a memorial to a woman.”
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The Woman Who Lives Downtown by Marissa Faerber
