Philip Schou

Schou photographed by H. J. Barby in 1892.

Philip Julius Schou (10 July 1838 - 19 September 1922) was a Danish businessman and industrialist. He was a pioneer of the Danish ceramics industry as the manager of Aluminia and the Royal Copenhagen Porcelain Factory.

Early life and education

Schou was born on 10 July 1838 in Slagelse, the son of Hans Henrik S. (1797–1870) and Martine Hedevig Hansen (1798–1853). He matriculated in 1857 from Sirø Academy. He graduated from the College of Advanced Technology in 1862. He was the younger brother of military officer and owner of Antvorskov Theodor Schou.

Career

For a couple of years he then ran a grocery business in Bisserup at Holsteinborg where his father already operated a place of shipment serving the southwestern part of Zealand. He sold it after a couple of years and was without employment when, in 1868, he came into contact with the owners of the Christianshavn-based Aluminia faience factory. Schou became a co-owner and the new manager of the company. In search of more capacity, he arranged for the company to take over E. Nobel's site in Frederiksberg, while the tobacco company took over Aluminia's old site in Christianshavn. The new premises were inaugurated in 1869. It soon proved difficult to satisfy the demand on the domestic market, and when at the same time there were good opportunities for export, especially to Norway, the partnership was transformed in 1872 with the support of the Landmandsbanken into a limited company. In 1882, Aluminia bought the Rotal Copenhagen Porcelain Factory. The Royal Porcelain Factory was immediately moved from its old premises on Købmagergade to a site next to Alumia in Frederiksberg.

Schou took over the management of the porcelain factory, constructed completely new production facilities and, together with engineer Ad. Clément, who was had been engaged by the factory in 1883, a series of expensive trials that ensured it an excellent ceramic-technical standard. Of particular importance, however, was that Arnold Krog was engaged in 1884 and became artistic director in 1885. At the Nordic Exhibition in Copenhagen in 1888 and the World Exhibition in Paris in 1889, Krog's underglaze painting attracted the international attention. It was described in Paris as an "unexpected revelation" and was awarded the exhibition's Grand Prix. With this, the Danish royal porcelain had acquired a world reputation. It was consolidated at exhibitions in Chicago (1893) and Paris (1900), and Sschou was able to set up his own sales organisations in Paris, London and New York. The earthenware factory, which in the early years had contributed to no small degree to keep the porcelain factory going, however, went into sharp decline at the end of the century. Schou retired in 1902.

Schou was also active in organisation work. He became a member of Industriforeningen's board of representatives in 1873 but left it again shortly thereafter since he disapproved of the work that was done there. He became the leader of a strong opposition that worked for improving the technical education. In 1874, he was appointed by the Ministry of Interior Affairs as its representative on the board of the Technical Institute. In 1876, with Schou as chairman, it was merged with the Technical Society's School. Schou played a central role in the construction of the enw schhol building in Ahlefeldtsgade.

Organisations and politics

Schou was a member of Frederikberg Municipal Council from 1872 to 1878. In 1881, he replaced C. C. Hall in the Folketing. He found the bitter political struggles intolerable and left the seat in 1883. He was instead appointed as chairman of Fællesrepræsentationen for Dansk Industri og Håndværk (until 1889) and for Industriforeningen (until 1890). He was a driving force behind the establishment of the Danish Museum fo Arts and Crafts and Tidsskrift for Kunstindustri. He also played a central role in the planning of the 1888 Great Nordic Exhibition in Copenhagen.

Erhvervspolitisk var hans horisont dog begrænset. En almindelig industriel udvikling for Danmark troede han ikke på, for – som han sagde ved Industriforeningens jubilæumsfest 1888 – skønt vort Lands Beliggenhed snarest maa betegnes som gunstig for selv en stor industriel Udvikling, saa er vort Folk næppe egnet dertil med sin bløde Karakter og sit ret magelige Temperament, vant som det er til let at finde Føden paa vore frugtbare Sletter". Denne ensidige indstilling der satte spor også efter hans formandstid, var vel medvirkende til at forhale en tilfredsstillende ordning af industriens organisationsspørgsmål der først løstes tidssvarende ved Industrirådets oprettelse 1910. På sit område ydede S. imidlertid en værdifuld indsats, og den industrielle ekspansion som fandt udtryk ved det danske porcelæns fremtrængen på verdensmarkedet har været en løftestang og en inspiration for andre danske eksportindustrier. – Etatsråd 1890. Konferensråd 1906. – Sønnen Sven (Svend) Holger Schou, født 10.6.1877, død 11.3.1961, der allerede som barn var en ivrig dyretegner gik på kunstakademiet 1896–1901 og efter studierejser i udlandet debuterede han på Charlottenborgs efterårsudstilling 1902. Hans foretrukne motiver var landskaber med fremtrædende dyregrupper, men desuden blev han kendt for sine studier fra cirkus. S. ejede fra 1905 herregården Havnsø ved Hadsund.

Personal life

Schou painted by Bertha Wegmann, 1888.

On 8 August 1862, Schou married Clara Olavia Maria Buch (1839-1926). She was the daughter of dyer Ebbe Johansen Bech and Sine Marie Jørgensen. He was the father of landscape painter Svend Schou.

Schou is one of the men seen in Peder Severin Krøyer's monumental 1904 oil-on-canbas group portrait painting Men of Industry. He died on 19 September 1922 and is buried in Frederiksberg Old Cemetery.

Awards

Schou was awarded the totle of etatsråd in 1890 and konferensråd in 1906. He was created a Knight of the Order of the Dannebrog in 1880 and a Commander of the Second Class in 1888. In 1897, he was awarded the Cross of Honour.