Potato pancakes, no apple sauce, no sour cream. That’s what Mr. Gruen (in his late 70’s) ordered every time he and his girlfriend (early 90’s) visited the Original Pancake House in the Gold Coast, where I worked as a server through my collage years. One of the most intriguing couples I have ever met. Mr. Gruen, so in love with his girlfriend of 20 years, June, was a metal smith from Berlin. He made his way to the US during WWII and purchased Gruen Galleries in River North in the early 70’s. The Gruen’s became friends over the years and allowed me to visit his gallery/studio to learn more about his story, his work, and to take pictures. The first image is of the project that resulted from my visit with Mr. Gruen. The second is of an iron gate that Gruen created while studying in Berlin.