Philip Schou

Schou was born on 10 July 1838 in Slagelse, the son of Hans Henrik S. (1797–1870) and Martine Hedevig Hansen (1798–1853).

[2] 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.

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.

The Royal Porcelain Factory was immediately moved from its old premises on Købmagergade to a site next to Alumia in Frederiksberg.

[1] Schou took over the management of the porcelain factory, constructed completely new production facilities and, together with engineer Ad.

He was a driving force behind the establishment of the Danish Museum fo Arts and Crafts and Tidsskrift for Kunstindustri.

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.

– 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.