The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1926-08-27
PRIVATE MUSEUM ON
TOP OF SKYSCRAPER
Bingham Keeps Rare Ma
rine Specimens in Suite.


New York.-On the top floor of the
office building at 80 Broadway, In the
heart Of the financial district, there Is
what Is undoubtedly the only sky
scraper oceanographic museum In the
world. Perhaps 1t is an exaggeration
to call 1t museum for 1t consists of
only two rooms Of a private office
suite. and It is not now, and probably
never will be. open to the public. But
In the glass cases and In glass Jars
awaiting study and mounting are some
5000 specimens Of marine life, many
Of them of hitherto unknown species.
This office building collection is the
nucleus Of what Is expected to grow
into thoroughly organized private
museum. which Harry Payne Bingham,
its owner, will house In an appropril
ate building. Meanwhile Mr.. Bingham
Is working in company with Louis I.
Mowbray, assistant director Of the
Aquarium. classifying and studying the
wealth Of marine material they got on
the three months 11,OOO-mile expedi-
ton they made last spring In the Car
ibbean and the Pacific.
Some Extraordinary Fish.
Hundreds Of these specimens al
ready have been mounted and placed
In glass cases In Mr.. Bingham's ONCE
at 80 Broadway. Others are on the
wall. Many of them are deep-sea va
rietfes, in the grotesque shapes made
familiar by William Beebes descrip-
tons last year of the ocean treasures
he found on his cruise In the Arcturus.
Their range Of size is extraordinary.
There Is one fish from the depths Of
the ocean only three inches long. 1t
Is equipped with tough skin which
has prevented 1t blowing up as most
deep-sea fish do when brought to the
surface from the heavy pressure Of
the lower levels Of water And on the
wall nearby is giant swordfish IL
feet long. On the wall also is a speci-
men of weakhsh six feet long, weigh
ing 175 pounds, In striking contrast to
the six-pound variety caught in New
York waters and served on restaurant
tables.
The skyscraper collection contains
even a sea-serpent. It looks like a
blacksnake about three feet long, with
the under side of its head white. It
was caught close to shore in the Gulf
of California.
All Mounted and Painted.
The fish, as they are seen In Mr..
Bingham's Office, are In their original
shapes and colors Francis West, taxi
dermist Of the Bingham-Mowbray ex-
petition, made plaster casts of the FIVE
fish while they were Topping about
the deck. Their skins have now been
fitted over these casts and painted by
Wilfred Bronson, an artist, who OBJ
served them In life in diving suit
and made notes Of their coloring.
In an adjoining room is a motion
picture projection machine and a
screen on which Mr.. Bingham and Mr..
Mowbray can throw pictures they took
on their voyage. With the aid of this
they can study again the life habits of
the sea animals.
Mr.. Bingham admitted that 1t was
true that he was planning to estab-
lish a museum, but said his plans
were entirely vague thus far and that
he did not yet have enough material
to warrant forming museum. His
Office serves meanwhile as a storeroom
and workroom.
Mr.. Bingham formerly was a men,
Der Of the New York Stock exchange,
but sold his seat twosyear ago to con-
centrate his attention on his studies
Of marine Mfe, In which he has long
been interested. He intends to make
another three months voyage early
next year in search Of specimens. He
and his party will travel in the Paw
nee, his 160-foot yacht, In which he
explored southern waters this year.
The yacht is equipped with Diesel en-
gines. It contains laboratory, rooms
for mounting the specimens and elabo-
rate paraphernalia for exploring the
depths.