Born in 1919, Nahil Bishara initially studied art at Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem between 1942 and 1944, then studied interior decoration at the University of Chicago and sculpture in Italy. Bishara was interested in Palestinian antiquities and folklore, before she died in 1997.

The collection contains several personal photographs and documents of Nahil Bishara, including working papers related to her study of interior design and decoration at the University of Chicago, and her undergraduate degrees at the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design and the College of Sculpture in Italy.