Elbert E. Farman
Elbert Eli Farman, Sr. was an American diplomat. He served as United States consul general in Egypt and a judge in the international commission that responded to the bombardment of Alexandria. In the United States, he is best known for his role in arranging the gift of the Cleopatra's Needle, now in New York, from Isma'il Pasha of Egypt to the United States.
Life and career
Farman was born in New Haven, Connecticut. After graduating from Amherst College, he studied international law in Berlin and Heidelberg. After serving as the district attorney in Wyoming County, New York, Farman was appointed consul general in Cairo in 1876 and served until 1881. He then served on two international tribunals in Egypt; the first helped revise Egyptian judicial codes. The second, established in 1883, judged claims by citizens of Alexandria regarding damages from the British bombardment of the city. The commission awarded more than $20,000,000 to Egyptians affected by the British attacks.Farman's most visible contribution is the 15th century, B.C.E., obelisk that currently stands in Central Park, New York. He described his role in its acquisition in detail in his book Egypt and its Betrayal. His involvement began in 1877, when he received a diplomatic letter including a proposal to be put to Isma'il Pasha of Egypt. By his own account, the acquisition was nearly a single-handed effort, however, after the US State Department appeared to have lost interest. After considerable setbacks, he concluded negotiations in 1879. The obelisk arrived in New York two years later.
During his time in Egypt, Farman ammassed a considerable collection of Egyptian antiquities, much of which was sold to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1890. His specialty was Hadra vases.