used predominantly in conjunction with chemical research at the time - generally speaking it
only began to be associated with physics some decades later; van Mamm had also explicitly
asked for funds to extend the premises for chemical research at the Holland Society just a year
earlier; and after van Marum’s death in 1837, his successor, Jacob Gijsbert Samuel van Breda,
summarized what his own plans were for the instrument collection, and only then turned to
the laboratory, and the “instruments” and the “Chemicals and Reagents” it [the laboratory]
housed.34
But if the laboratory was conceived as a chemical laboratory from the outset, then why
emphasise its potential for further research in physics? Again, this can be explained at least
partially if one sees the argument as part of a larger rhetorical strategy. The point is that the
electrostatic generator’s successes were indisputable, and not only van Marum, but the
Foundation and in a sense the entire town of Haarlem were basking in the glory of playing
host to such a famed device as it caught the scholarly community’s attention. The idea of
continuing on down the same path might have evoked images of fame and glory amongst the
literary journal’sreaders. What’s more, analytic chemistry was still in its infancy, whereas
electrical research had long been a central part of Dutch scientific culture.35 It has even been
said elsewhere that van Marum’s “experimental investigations into the new chemistry were
initially disguised as electrical researches” because “[e]lectricity was a secure field whence
Van Marum could investigate firm territories”.
In fact, this was not the first time van Marum invoked his past successes with the electrostatic
generator: he had already done so when he drew up his acquisition policy for the instrument
collection together with the Second Society, suggesting “that each instrument that one has
manufactured, should be made to the highest specifications possible, flattering oneself that
they will then, just like the big Electrostatic Generator, be able to serve the advancement of
our Knowledge of Nature.” 7 Van Marum wrote this in June 1789, and the fact that he is
suggesting only the best instruments money could buy should be acquired, provides an
indication just how much money really was available at this point.
34 “werktuigen”; “Chemicalia en Reagentia”; Van Breda to Directeuren Teylers Stichting, 28.08.1839, Haarlem,
ATS, vol. 23.
35 On electrical research in the Dutch Republic around 1800 see: Lissa Roberts, “Science Becomes Electric:
Dutch Interaction with the Electrical Machine During the Eighteenth Century,” Isis 90, no. 4 (1999): 680-714.
36 Trevor H. Levere, ‘Teyler’s Museum,” vol. 4, Martinus van Marum: Life & Work (Leyden: Noordhoff
International Publishing, 1973), 47.
37 “dat men elk werktuig, het geen men [...] zal laaten vervaardigen, zo volkomen liet maaken, als zulks te
verkrijgen is, zieh vlijende, dat zij dan, even als one groote Electriseer-Machine, ter bevordering der Naturkennis
zullen kunnen dienen.” “Beredeneerd Plan voor het aanleggen van een Cabinet van Physische en Mechanische
Instrumenten in Teyler’s Museum”, c. 06.1789, Haarlem, NHA, Archief van Marum, vol. 529, nr. 9.
7. Van Marum’s Acquisition Policy
It is worth taking a closer look at van Marum’s acquisition policy. Not just because it formed
the basis upon which the core of Teylers Museum’s instrument collection was built over the
next few years, but also because it provides more - and more detailed - information on the
criteria according to which van Marum went about purchasing items for the collection.
However, some caution is again called for here, in the sense that the plans he drew up need to
be seen as a snapshot of his interests at this specific point in time. Even though, overall, his
range of interests remained remarkably consistent throughout his long life, the way he
“discovered” and subsequently championed Lavoisier’s analytic chemistry has already shown
how the main focus of his interest could shift every few years. It must therefore not come as
too much of a surprise that by the end of the 1790s hardly any instruments were still being
acquired for the museum. And by the beginning of the new century funding for the museum s
scientific collections had been put on hold again for a variety of reasons anyway.
But that was still a long way off when it first became clear that a windfall was coming van
Marum’s way. As was already mentioned above, the first indication that the trustees were
willing to pay heed to van Marum’s wish of expanding the collections came in 1787. On
March 2nd of that year, van Marum informed his fellow members of Teylers Second Society
“that he had been asked by the Lord Pensionary van Zeebergh to present a plan to the Trustees
on the part of this Society according to which, from time to time, Teylers Museum could be
provided with Physical Instruments and models of various machines”.3
The crucial words here were still “from time to time”. Nevertheless, van Marum of course did
not let this opportunity pass, and upon informing the Second Society of the trustees’ offer had
already prepared “a plan [...] in which were contained and reported those instruments and
models that were judged by Mr van Marum, considering the organisation of this Foundation,
to be the most useful and the least dispensible.
This “plan” appears not to have been preserved, and no mention of either van Zeebergh s
offer or van Marum’s plans is made in the corresponding notes of the trustees meetings.
What was recorded by the Second Society, however, is that its members unanimously decided
to leave the matter in van Marum’s hands, and fully approved the plans he had presented them
with. As the minutes read:
“During the general discussion Mr van Oosten de Bruijn, admitting his complete ignorance in
nhvsics and mechanics, wished to refer to the opinions of the other Members of this Society,
who have unanimously declared their approval of this plan conceived by the said Mr van
38 “dat Zijne W Ed door den Heer Pensionaris van Zeebergh was verzocht om aan Heeren Directeuren, van
wegens dit Collegie, over te geeven een plan, waarop, van tijd tot tijd, Teijlers Museum van
Instrumenten, en modellen van verscheide werk-tuigen, zouwde kunnen worden voorzien , “Notulen Tweede
Genootschaü” 02.03.1787, Haarlem, ATS, vol. 1382. .
39 “een ontwerp [...] waarin waren vervat en opgegeven die instrumenten en modellen, welken, naar mnchting
van deeze Fondatie, door den Heer van Marum geordeeld waren ’t dienstigste, en mrnst t ontbeeren te zyn. Ibid.