Page 200 - Bonhams Passkon and Philanthropy MET Mjuseum March 2024 Asia Week

Fig. 1 Melissa Williams Bingham Payne.
Source: https://www.geni.com/people/Melissa-Bingham/6000000016532107061

Mrs Harry Payne Bingham, Melissa Williams Bingham
(1898-1986)

Melissa Williams Bingham (1898-1986) was the third wife of Harry Museum through loans and donations, including gifts of important
Payne Bingham (1887-1955), whom she wed in 1937. She was a works by Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640) (acc. no. 37.162), Jean
member of the Colony Club and served on the Visiting Committee Désiré Gustave Courbet (1819-1877) (acc. no. 40.175), Edward Degas
for the European Paintings Department at The Metropolitan Museum (1834-1917) (acc. no. 1987.47.1), and Francisco de Goya y Lucientes
of Art. Mr. Bingham owned a seat on the New York Stock Exchange (1746-1828) (acc. nos 55.145.1 and 55.145.2).
until 1924, served as Director of First National Bank of New York (now
Citibank), and of the Northern Finance Corporation of New York. He Upon his death, Mr. Bingham bequeathed a large sum of money
joined the Board of Trustees of The Metropolitan Museum of Art in to the Museum, which was used to construct the thirteen Harry
1937, and later became Vice President of the Museum. He donated Payne Bingham Special Exhibition Galleries, which opened in 1957
his collection of 3,000 marine biological specimens to Yale University and considerably expanded the Museum’s footprint. Mrs. Bingham
and provided funds for the Bingham Oceanographic Foundation to bequeathed over a dozen Chinese ceramics to the Museum,
support it. Mr. and Mrs. Bingham actively supported the Metropolitan principally consisting of Qing dynasty vases.

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