Pieter Teyler van der Hulst

Pieter Teyler van der Hulst (25 March 1702 – 8 April 1778) was a wealthy Dutch Mennonite merchant and banker, who died childless, leaving a legacy of two million florins (in today's terms: about EUR 80 million) to the pursuit of religion, arts and science in his hometown, that led to the formation of Teyler's Museum.

He made loans to his Haarlem contemporaries, including to his fellow Scot and neighbor George Clifford III, the wealthy Amsterdam merchant known for sponsoring Carl Linnaeus.

In the 18th century, the ruling classes of Amsterdam (where Teyler had his banking offices) and Haarlem were all Protestants, as was the Dutch Stadtholder.

By lending large sums of money, he also facilitated other initiatives, including new premises for the Dutch Society of Sciences (1777) and the establishment of a College of Music (1773).

His former home in Haarlem with its entrance on the Damstraat is joined to the Teyler's Museum at the rear through a side door in the Oval room.

Pieter Teyler's pewter inkstand (depicted in his portrait above) is still in the collection of Teylers Museum .
Signature and blazon of Pieter Teyler.
The front door of Teylers Fundatiehuis . Until the Spaarne wing was built in 1885, access to Teylers Museum was gained through this door: the front door of Pieter Teyler's residence.