Page 153 - Bonhams Passkon and Philanthropy MET Mjuseum March 2024 Asia Week

William Rhinelander Stewart (1852-1929)

Lots 75 - 86

William Rhinelander Stewart (1852-1929) began his career as a He and his first wife, Annie McKee Armstrong (1864–1925) had two
lawyer but left the profession several years later to devote himself children, Anita Rhinelander Stewart (b.1886) and William Rhinelander
to charitable, civic, and business endeavors. In his professional life, Stewart Jr. two years later. Anita married Prince Miguel, Duke of
Stewart became a Trustee of Greenwich Savings Bank in 1893, then Viseu, grandson of King Miguel I of Portugal, and the eldest son of
a Director of the Corn Exchange Bank (starting in 1897), and from Dom Miguel, Duke of Braganza, claimant to the throne of Portugal
1908 until his death in 1929, he was President of Rhinelander Real from 1866 to 1920. She took the title Princess de Braganza. After her
Estate Co. He is best known for his devotion to charitable and civic husband died in 1923, Anita moved to New York City and denounced
causes. He was particularly involved in Grace Church, where he was her royal title to regain her American citizenship. In social circles, she
appointed Superintendent of the Mission Sunday School in 1880. In continued to be referred to as the Princess.
1898 he was named President of the National Conference of Charities
and Corrections. Two years later he organized the New York State William Rhinelander Stewart and his wife, Annie divorced in 1906.
Conference of Charities and Corrections, and in 1910 he founded Annie then married James Henry Smith who tragically died in Japan
the New York City Conference of Charities and Corrections. He also in 1907 while on their honeymoon, leaving her an estate said to
played an active civic role on the New York Board of Charities, first approximate $70 million. She married a third time to Jean de Saint Cyr
being appointed a Commissioner 1882 and serving as such until in 1915.
1929, including a periods as President of the Board, first from 1894
to 1903, and again from 1907 to 1923. His papers, particularly his William Rhinelander Stewart Jr. and his sister Anita each inherited
official and personal correspondence, diaries, and research during slightly over $13 million after their mother’s death. From his father,
his time on the New York State Board of Charities, are now housed in William also inherited vast real estate holdings in New York.
the New York Public Library. Additionally, Stewart left indelible marks
on New York City in the form of celebrated monuments. He was the Sources:
impetus behind the Washington Square Arch in lower Manhattan, https://nyti.ms/3DvfEfR
the idea for which he conceived in 1889 as a temporary triumphal https://nyti.ms/3Ov5PFg
arch in honor of the centenary of George Washington’s (1732-1799) https://www.jstor.org/stable/3255963
inauguration as the first President of the United States (1789-1797). https://snaccooperative.org/view/9823422
The arch was completed in 1902 and proved so popular that a https://archives.nypl.org/mss/2889
permanent replacement was built in stone three years later by the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Square_
architect Stanford White (1853- 1906). The arch remains an iconic and Arch#:~:text=the%20Piccirilli%20Brothers.-
beloved structure to this day. Subsequently, he was the Chairman of ,History,contributed%20%242%2C765%20toward%20the%20work.
a special committee of the Grant Monument Association, in charge of http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/book/
raising funds to build the General Grant National Memorial, which is the lookupname?key=Stewart%2C%20William%20Rhin
mausoleum in Morningside Heights, Manhattan, housing the remains elander%2C%201852%2D1929
of the 18th U.S. President, General Ulysses S. Grant (1822-1885) and http://dlib.nyu.edu/findingaids/html/nyhs/ms443_30_washington_arch/
his wife. Stewart authored several books, including The Philanthropic bioghist.html
Work of Josephine Shaw Lowell: Containing a Biographical Sketch of portrait: https://emuseum.nyhistory.org/objects/42651/william-
Her Life, Together With a Selection of Her Public Papers and Private rhinelander-stewart-18521929
Letters, Collected and Arranged for Publication (1911) and Grace photo: https://househistree.com/people/william-rhinelander-stewart-
Church and Old New York (1924). sr-1852-1929

PASSION AND PHILANTHROPY: CHINESE ART FROM THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART | 151