In anticipation of my visit tomorrow to speak to Jerome Phillips, of Phillips of Hitchin – (founded by Jerome’s grandfather Frederick William Phillips in 1884) I thought I’d post an image of the interior of Phillips’ ‘shop’….The Manor House, Hitchin….
….which they have occupied since the 1880s – this photograph dates from c.1910. Phillips had (still have) the advantage of course of being able to display their antique furniture etc in an appropriately historic setting. In the early decades of the 20th century such strategies also keyed into the increasing numbers of publications on historic houses (Muthesius etc) and furniture history (Macquiod, Edwards, Cescinsky etc etc) and the fashion for recreated interiors. Indeed F.W. Phillips could not only furnish your home with appropriate antiques, they could also build an ‘antique’ home for you…as this advertisement from c.1910 suggests…
…as the caption states…’A modern house built by Messrs Phillips from old materials. Estimates for this half-timber work maybe be had on application…’……A very ‘Modern Antique’.
Mark
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