Society. As keeper of the Holland Society’s cabinet and representative of the Directors of the
Society, van Marum had suggested that the Teyler Foundation buy the Holland Society’s
geological specimens off them at cost price, thereby preventing any future overlap of the two
collections which, after all, were housed in the same town. Again, the trustees agreed, paying
the Society a total of f400,-. In addition to this, the trustees also agreed to buy some
geological specimens off van Marum, which he had brought back from a journey to Germany
and the Southern Netherlands in the summer of 1782, hoping to sell them on to the Holland
Society.
It was during this trip that van Marum had first laid his eyes on a collection for sale in
Maastricht. This had originally been acquired by the Major Drouin. Van Marum first
proposed incorporating this collection in the Foundation’s in July 1783, but it took until April
1784 before he could pick it up, after having paid Drouin the handsome price of f2400,-. This
collection included the petrified head of what van Marum still described as “a large fish”,
which was the source of much debate over the course of the following years, particularly
regarding the question of whether it represented an extinct species or not. Initially the idea
was that these were the fossilised remains of a crocodile or whale. By the early 19th century,
the consensus was that van Marum had bought some kind of extinct lizard. By the 1820s, it
was classified as a “mosasaur”.
By the time of the acquisition of Drouin’s collection, van Marum was clearly calling the shots
as far as the Teyler Foundation’s collections were concerned. And when the trustees once
again came around to van Marum’s home to inspect the fossils they had acquired, he took the
opportunity to consolidate his informal position as head of the collections by seeking
permission to buy specimens for the collection without prior permission from the trustees,
within certain budgetary limits.150 The reason he gave was that many traders of geological
specimens passing through Haarlem only remained in town for a short period, which in turn
meant van Marum did not have the time to check with the trustees whether they agreed with
his recommendations for acquisitions. In addition to this, van Marum also suggested that he
keep all those specimens in the collection that were present in duplicate at his own home,
rather than at the Oval Room. These could then be used as barter.
Both proposals were formally approved by the trustees the following day, and van Marum
was granted a budget of 20-30 ducats.151 These new rules constituted a major step in van
Marum’s gradual monopolisation of the Foundation’s collections. Their significance becomes
clear if one takes into account that just a few months earlier, in February 1784, he had still
been compelled to solicit the opinion of the Second Society’s other members regarding the
possible purchase of a geological collection assembled by le Francq van Berkheij which had
come up for sale.152 Although van Marum proposed to acquire it, his suggestion met with
strong opposition from his fellow members, who were concerned that many of the specimens
Martinus van Marum: “Joumaal van mijne verrichtingen ter verkrijging eener verzameling van Fossilia in
Teyler’s Museum”, 1782-1790, Haarlem, NHA, Archief van Marum, vol. 529, nr. 11 d, 17.06.1784.
151 “Directienotulen”, 18.06.1784, Haarlem, ATS, vol. 5 & Martinus van Marum: “Joumaal van mijne
verrichtingen ter verkrijging eener verzameling van Fossilia in Teyler’s Museum”, 1782-1790, Haarlem, NHA,
Archief van Marum, vol. 529, nr. lid , 19.06.1784.
152 “Notulen Tweede Genootschap”, 06.02.1784, Haarlem, ATS, vol. 1382.
in van Berkheij’s collection were already represented in the Foundation’s own collection.
They subsequently decided to acquire only those specimens from van Berkheij’s collection
which would complement the Foundation’s. This, however, proved not to be feasible, and the
plan fell through. Because the amount of money that would have been required for the
purchase of van Berkheij’s collection was higher than the budget van Marum was granted for
negotiations on the Foundation’s behalf some months later, he would not have been able to
push this deal through according to the new guidelines either - but nevertheless, it is clear that
with the introduction of the new rules he was gradually shedding the restrictions of having to
answer not only to the trustees, but the Second Society too.
Van Marum’s real coup and final step in gaining recognition as the head of the Foundation’s
collections, however, was still to come. Whether it was first mentioned at the same meeting at
which van Marum suggested the new guidelines was not recorded; but it is not unlikely,
because just one week later, van Zeebergh pointed out to the other trustees how
“the Cabinet of Fossils that has been bought, is already so important that it deserves to be
examined by interested persons; that the Museum will be completed soon, and that
af.[orementioned] Fossils can be placed in it; that in the meantime this collection could not be
exhibited except under supervision of a capable man, as the risk is run otherwise that they will
repeatedly be brought into disorder, and in some parts in an irreparable manner;”15
The obvious choice for such a “capable man” was of course van Marum. It soon transpired
that van Zeebergh had in fact already tested the waters and spoken to the young doctor in
what was referred to as an “informal conversation”. Unsurprisingly, van Marum had declared
he would be happy to take on the task. According to the minutes the mayor Kuits, who was
not present at this particular meeting of the trustees, had previously declared his support for
van Zeebergh’s proposal, who subsequently had little difficulty in persuading the other two
trustees that had shown up for the meeting, van der Vlugt and Hugaart, to ask van Marum “to
take on both the Supervision of the Cabinet of Fossils and the general administration of the
Museum”.154 The exact details of his appointment as “Director of Teylers Musaeum” — the
post was referred to as such in the heading summarizing the points discussed during the
meeting - as well as van Marum’s salary were still to be determined.
Intriguingly, there was also talk of a library that was to be placed at the director’s disposal.
In a way that defies coincidence, the description as to what this library was to contain is an
almost verbatim copy of the Second Society’s recommended acquisition policy from a few
months earlier — save the idea that Greek and Roman Classics needed to be included. As the
minutes read:
153 “het Cabinet van Fossilia, thans aangekogt, reeds van dat aanbelang geworden is, dat hetzelve verdiene van
Liefhebbers beschouwd te worden; dat ook het Musaeum eerlang zal voltooijd zijn, en gen.[oemde] Fossilia
daarin zullen kunnen geplaatst worden; dat ondertusschen deeze verzameling niet kon ten toon opengelegd
worden, dan onder opzigt van een kundig man, wijl men anderzins gevaar loopt, dezelve meermalen in
verwarring gebragt te zien, en wel in zommige gedeeltens op eene onherstelbare wijze;” “Directienotulen”,
25.06.1784, Haarlem, ATS, vol. 5.
154 “het Toezigt op het Cabinet Fossilia en het algemeen Bestuur van het Musaeum op zig te willen neemen”;
Ibid.