Frederik Muller (1817-1881) was born in Amsterdam into a wealthy family. His father, Samuel Muller, was a teacher and one of his hobbies was literature and science, something he passed on to his son. Frederik worked with his uncle auctioning old books and, after the experience, decided to start his own business. He opened a second-hand bookstore in 1843. He devoted himself not only to selling volumes, but also to collecting rare books, maps and engravings. Later he partnered with Frederik Adama van Scheltema and founded Frederik Muller & Co. in 1876, an auction house located at Nieuwe Doelenstraat 16-18 (Amsterdam).