Mozart &
Material Culture

Souvenirs

Physician, secretary of the Royal Society and librarian at the British Museum. Trained at Leiden University, where he was awarded a PhD in 1740 (published in Utrecht the following year under the title Essai sur l’Usage), Maty set up practice as a physician in London in 1741. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society on 19 December 1751 and was appointed an under-librarian at the recently-established British Museum in 1756; he was elected foreign secretary of the Royal Society in 1762 and secretary in 1765, succeeding to the post of chief librarian at the British Museum in 1772.

Francesco Bartolozi, Matthew Maty, c1780

Francesco Bartolozi, Matthew Maty, c1780

Mozart Relevance

The minutes of the standing committee of the Trustees of the British Museum for 19 July noted, 'Lord Cardross having presented a portrait of Queen Elizabeth, Mr. Mozart a copy of the printed music of his son, and Dr. de Or a copy of his Theological Inaugural Dissertation printed at Leyden 1765 / Ordered / that thanks be returned for the same,' while the Museum's Book of Presents of the Trustees  for the same dated recorded: 'A copy of the Printed Music of his son: from Mr. Mozart. Omitted in the Donation Book.' Matthew Maty wrote to Leopold Mozart, also on 19 July: 'Sir. I am ordered by the Standing Committee of the Trustees of the British Museum, to signify to You, that they have received the present of the musical performances of your very ingenious Son which You were pleased lately to make Them, and to return You their Thanks for the same.' 

Date 1
1718, Montfoort
Date 2
1776, London
Date (Mozart)
1765 July
Location (Mozart)
London
Bibliographic Reference
Gunther, 1987

Pages referencing Maty, Matthew (1718-1776):

W. A. Mozart, God is our Refuge K20