On 12 February, 2013, the CAA Events Subcommittee organized a behind-the-scenes tour of the Chicago History Museum archives.

CHM Archivist, Peter Alter, took time out of his busy schedule to provide a short history of the museum (formerly known as the Chicago Historical Society) and its current collecting policy. He then led a tour down to the closed-to-the-public basement where the collections are held. The tour included an examination of a few items pulled by Alter that highlight the collecting strengths of the museum. Alter emphasized the impact late Archie Motley had on the growth of collections, and the way that impact influences the growth of collections today. Finally, Alter answered a few questions about CHM's holdings and access to the collections.

Chicago Area Archivists would like to thank Peter Alter for being so generous with his time. This was a popular repository tour, so Peter has graciously offered to lead another in early May. Watch the CAA website and the listserv for an announcement with more details.

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