Martinus van Marum
First Director of Teylers Museum from 1784 to 1837
Martinus van Marum (1750-1837) was a versatile, experimental scientist with a preference for botany and physics.
Van Marum studied natural philosophy and medicine in Groningen. There, he was heavily influenced by Petrus Camper. He obtained his doctorate on a plant physiological subject in 1773 in the presence of stadtholder Prince Willem V. But his passion for botany cooled when, despite promises, he did not become Petrus Camper's successor as professor.
He now devoted himself wholeheartedly to electrostatics. In 1776, he settled in Haarlem as a doctor. Van Marum was soon appointed city lecturer and was given a position at the Hollandsche Maatschappij der Wetenschappen. From 1779, he was a member of Teylers Tweede Genootschap and in 1784 he became director of Teylers Museum. In that capacity, he is the founder of the Physical Cabinet, the Paleontological-Mineralogical Cabinet and the Library.
Barent de Bakker, Martinus van Marum's Large Electrostatic Generator in the Oval Room, 1800.
Charles Howard Hodges, Portrait of Martinus van Marum, ca. 1826.
Initially, Van Marum carried out electrostatic, chemical and physiological research using his large Electrostatic Generator. He introduced Lavoisier's new chemical system and his theory of oxygen to this country. Later, his interests shifted to paleontology and mineralogy and eventually he returned to botany. From 1804 onwards, he had his own garden at Zuider Buiten Spaarne (Plantlust) and conducted extensive international correspondence to obtain plants and seeds. Thanks to him, the Library emphasized this branch of science, followed by the other subjects of natural history.
He made important purchases in the field of fossils and minerals, such as the mosasaur, the 'Zondvloedmens' and a large collection of crystal models. As a natural scientist and physician, his approach was strongly practical, focused on utility. For example, he has worked on lightning conduction, the improvement of the pressure cooker and the development of a breathing apparatus for drowning people.
From 1794, Van Marum was also secretary of the Hollandsche Maatschappij der Wetenschappen, which put him in contact with hundreds of domestic and foreign scholars.His duties also included drawing up competitions and involvement in the assessment of the submitted answers.
