This particular collection of medals was donated by Professor John Hull Grundy, a skilled artist and draughtsman with a medical background and specialism in entomology. His wife Mrs Anne Hull Grundy, was an art historian with an interest in French medallic art. Their knowledge and interests complemented each other and their collection, and subsequent donation of objects, benefited many museums around the country. Many of these medals span the periods of design known as Art Nouveau, with its complex rounded shapes and Art Deco, known for its more angular and simplistic forms. They commemorate a wide variety of subjects such as World War I , The Zoological Society, and the storyteller Hans Christian Anderson.