MARUM, Martinus van.- ALS.- BLOCH.- Teylers.- Original autograph letter in French by Martinus van Marum to the ichthyologist Marcus Elieser Bloch [1723 - 1799], signed and dated. [signed and dated 'M.V.Marum Haarlem le 28 Juillet 1797'].Very good. DSB vol. IX, pp. 151 - 153: Martinus van Marum [Delft 1750 - Haarlem, 1837]. Natural philosophy, medicine, botany. In 1777 Van Marum was appointed as director of the Haarlem cabinet of natural curiosities, nowadays better known as 'Teyler's Museum'. The organization of the Museum was left entirely to van Marum , '... and he soon obtained a large electrical machine made under the supervision of Cuthbertson of Amsterdam. ...'His experiments were documented in the Teyler's transactions in 1785, 1787, & 1795. The experiments brought him world fame. Van Marum was in contact with all the great minds of the time, among whom Benjamin Franklin, Lavoisier, Bloch, Cuvier, Thunberg, Banks etc. This letter to the german ichtyologist [M.E.] Bloch, one of the most important ichthyologits of the 18th century, who [with Cuvier] consolidated the knowledge of Ichthyology, discussing the visit to Berlin and a return visit to Haarlem's Teyler's Museum where van Marum might have some items of ichthyological interest for Bloch. Some 1500 specimina of Bloch's collection are preserved today in the Museum of Natural History ['Naturhistorisches Museum'] of the Humboldt University of Berlin. EUR 450.00
