Michael S. Phillips (Photo by Sam Schneider)
Michael S. Phillips is a curator, a collector, a historian and an independent scholar, a true Renaissance man. His specialty is early-18th- and 19th-century American furniture and decorative arts, with a focus on pieces that are native to Virginia and Maryland. Influenced by classical Greek and Roman styles, he collects everything from Grecian-style sofas to ceramics and candlesticks hailing from Europe. Phillips is more than a collector; he has an eye for curation and the desire to share his passion with the community.
R•Home: How did you first become interested in collecting?
Michael S. Phillips: Ever since I was little, I’ve collected things, starting with Roman coins and smaller things. So I guess I’ve always had a collecting instinct. It was in school at the University of Virginia when I really got involved with American material culture and also became interested in antiquity, the ancient Greeks and Romans, and the influence they had on early American art. After moving to Richmond, I started to go to lots of auctions, crawling under furniture, tipping things over, and started being able to identify pieces.
R•Home: What is your favorite piece in your personal collection?
Phillips: My favorite piece is probably a Richmond-made classical dining table with elegant, reeded legs with turned feet terminating in brass balls. I would also say my Baltimore Hepplewhite shield back chair. I found it at an auction, late at night. The auctioneer said it was a reproduction, but I could tell that it wasn’t — I knew it was real. It’s an example of regional Baltimore furniture, a great period piece. This memory stands out because I had acquired the knowledge to know that it was real, but the other people at the auction didn’t know it. There’s a sense of euphoria when you realize that something’s really special and nobody else really knows.
R•Home: Could you elaborate a little bit more on your curatorial activities?
Phillips: I really enjoy consulting with museums and private collectors. I have helped to curate quite a few exhibitions, including the first-ever exhibit of early Richmond furniture and material culture [shown at the John Marshall House in the spring of 2019]. The majority of these pieces were from my own collection, because what’s the value of owning these objects if you can’t share them and their stories with the world?
R•Home: Do you have any tips for beginning collectors?
Phillips: You’re in the right place, with all of the art and architecture that’s so close at hand in Richmond. Go to museums and actually look at items that have provenance and are identified. Auctions are a great place to learn about art and furniture because you can actually touch and interact with the items, unlike in a museum. Connecting with actual physical items allows you to connect with the past. The more you see, the more you can get your hands on and inspect, the more you know. It can also be helpful to reach out to the community: There’s a great network of collectors, scholars and curators in Virginia.
