The Hull Grundy collection in the Museum of Medicine and Health, University of Manchester

Abstract

Abstract Anne Hull Grundy and her husband, John, were prolific antique collectors, remembered for their generous donations of fine and decorative arts to several major museums. Less well known is their collection of over 200 items broadly related to medical topics and donated to the University of Manchester Museum of Medicine and Health (mmh) between 1978 and 1983. The donation includes items of equipment in silver, a collection of commemorative medals and a set of framed prints, all linked to medicine and medical history. This paper describes the Hull Grundy collection and its place in the history of the museum. Short biographical sketches of Anne and John Hull Grundy and a brief history of the mmh, are followed by an account of the artefacts in the collection. The role of donors and donations in defining the nature of a ‘medical history museum’, and its potential use for social history and the medical humanities are also discussed.