Re: Rev. J. M. W. Farnham - at Kiangnan Arsenal, Shanghai, China - circa 1870s

Rev. Farnham was a missionary to China who also published a genealoy of the Farnham family. He was a graduate of Union College in Schenectady, New York. He sent a Chinese statue of a lion to the college as a gift. The statue was considered so ugly it was put in storage. When the Rev. Farnham announced that he was planning a visit, the lion statue was put on display. Students promptly covered the statue with paint, necessitating a quick cleanup by the College. Painting the statue, known as the Idol, is now a tradition as different groups try to keep it painted their colors.