While E. M. Violette was a graduate student in the University of Chicago, he became interested in the use of visual aids in the teaching of history. As a professor of history at this institution, then the First District Normal School, he began to experiment with visual materials in the classroom. In 1923, the Museum contained several hundred items. Since then, its collections have grown to include thousands of catalogued items. For information on the objects in the collection, please contact the Special Collections & Archives department.