I want to know the original owner/collector life story. What business was he in or where did his money come from?
I found this, it was a little story done up with his obituary.
One of the most remarkable museum collections in the Chicago area has never been seen by most area residents, and recent developments indicate they may never get that chance.
Lee Hartungs private museum hidden in a quiet corner of west Glenview is chock-full of things seldom found anywhere else, and certainly not in one place.
Scrap dealer Hartung allowed visitors by appointment only, and those appointments were not readily dispensed. And after a long illness, Hartung died in May, and the museum has been closed, perhaps for good.
His collection includes at least 76 cars, according to his long-time companion, Marjorie Cox. Many are Model Ts and Model As and all are rarities.
He had dozens of vintage motorcycles, including at least one with wooden rims. There were prams, pedal cars, bicycles and toys. He collected license plates dating from the first year they were offered in every state, and had a large collection of local police badges.
A decade ago, Hartung told Pioneer Press he was trying to give the collection to a museum, but couldnt find a taker.
I hate to break up the license plate collection it took me 50 years to put together and can never be duplicated again, he said in 2000. But the collections too big for any individual to house. It has to go in a museum.
Cox said last week that shes planning to sell the museums entire contents, and not necessarily to any single person or entity.
Im going to sell it whatever way I can to maximize my income, she said.
She said she is burdened by upcoming property taxes, after losing an appeal. Cox, of Wilmette, is the executor of Hartungs estate, his former attorney said.
She and her son and a hired crew have been cleaning up the museum, long known to be cluttered with extraneous junk and dust.
Until relatively recently, visitors said they needed flashlights to see the collection.
He had some serious electrical issues, but he brought all that into compliance, Glenview Development Director Mary Bak said.
The museum which may have started as early as 1950 is on four acres in a residentially-zoned area, Bak said. Last year, negotiations were afoot between Hartung and the village to get the zoning changed to industrial.
We worked with his attorney to do something with the zoning code to make it legal, but he kept saying, dont worry, hold it off, Bak said. He was suspicious, but then he said he was ready to participate, and then he died.
His collection was unbelievable, Bak said. And he was a really sweet man.
