Huang Xiayi (1885-1943), a native of Dongguan, Guangdong province, was an important and well-known revolutionary in Chinese modern history. He joined Tongmenghui with his like-minded friends such as Lin Zhimian (1888-1934) and was involved in the Guangzhou New Army Uprising and Yellow Flower Mound Uprising, among others. After the founding of the Republic of China, he was appointed as the first county mayor of Dongguan County. He was later named as the Director of the Guangdong Provincial Taxation Bureau, the Fujian Provincial Tobacco and Liquor Tax Director, and the 19th Route Army Major General. At the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937, Huang returned to Dongguan. In 1943, he died in an airstrike launched by the Japanese during an inspection in Shaoguan, Guangdong.
Intellectuals frequently interacted with artists during the early Republic period, and Huang was one of such intellectuals. This collection is comprised of paintings and calligraphy gifted to him or purchased by him, and serves as witness to the development of traditional Chinese painting in the Lingnan region during the early 20th century. It also represents extraordinary aesthetic value and historical significance.

Gongsun Zhangzi, a native of Neijiang, Sichuan Province, formerly known as Yu Qie, was a modern revolutionary and calligrapher who styled himself as Pei Chu and also went by the name of Lan Gai. Having secretly assembled the Datong Army for an armed uprising against the Qing in 1905, he joined the Tongmenghui (Chinese Revolutionary Alliance) in 1907 and took part in many revolutionary activities. Later in 1924, Gongsun Zhangzi moved to Shanghai from Guangdong and made a living by selling his calligraphy. An erudite self-taught calligrapher, his distinct style derived from the regular script on Wei steles, and his 'Double Hook' and 'Fei Bai' (Flying White) works count as his most brilliant accomplishments.