A Protective Coat for Everything

​Francis Harrington Glidden, a descendant of Capt. John Locke of Rye, sometime seaman and merchant, turned to varnish and made history.

In 1866 he started as a varnish salesman, and in 1875 started his own varnish company that turned into the Glidden Varnish Company, making varnishes for furniture, pianos, carriages and wagons. He built it into the largest varnish company in the world. He remained the president of the company until he was 85.