The collection was arranged as it was gifted and consists of both flat J. (Josef) Marion Gutnayer (Gutnajer) (1911 - 2004) was born in Poland. After surviving the Holocaust, Gutnayner studied in the Ecole des Beaux Arts in France where he had an architecture studio with his brother, Henry. While in France, the Gutnayer brothers worked on a house for Jacques Lipschitz and a home and studio for painter Robert Helman. After World War II, Gutnayer worked on reconstruction in Poland and in 1945 he came to America as a Displaced Person where he worked with Henry in New York City. Gutnayer became the first faculty member of University of Illinois Chicago's architecture department while the campus was on Navy Pier. Ne left UIC in the early 1950s and began work on wide range of projects including single-family houses on the North Shore and in Chicago, a motel, high-rises on Lakeshore Drive, Marine Drive and Sheridan Road in Chicago, and a series of commercial designs for a builder called NAMCO in Evanston. His work evolved from avant garde to 'builder vernacular' as he practiced until the 1990s. Alice, his wife, was a French teacher at New Trier High School and led abroad programs to France. The couple had three children; Jerry, Glenn (also an architect), and Steven. They were sophisticated art collectors: J. Marion's family in Europe had sizeable collection and he bought and sold many pieces. Throughout his life, Gutnayer worked to help return artwork stolen from Jewish people during WWII. drawings and rolled plans. Original order was maintained as well as original folders constructed by Gutnayer to house oversized materials.