Brander Matthews (1852–1929), author, critic and a professor of English and Dramatic Literature at Columbia University, believed strongly that, to best study theatre, researchers and scholars needed to see and access the makings of the stagecraft itself. Based on personal experience, Matthews realized that the observation of sets, props, costumes, models, sketches, and other ephemera would enable a better understanding and visualization of actual productions. As a result, he set out collecting such objects, as well as puppets, masks, posters, and playbills. In 1911, the Brander Matthews Dramatic Museum collection was officially established at Columbia University.