The John Philipps Collection contains materials related to the writings and life history of John Philipps. Of particular focus are his works, manuscripts, studies, and travel materials related to German from Russia heritage. The John Philipps Collection is divided into six series: Autobiographical Materials, Correspondence, Manuscript, Subject, Photograph, and Publications.

The Autobiographical Materials Series contains two folders of autobiographical manuscripts about Philipps. These were written in German, and one, “Mein Leibenslauf”, was translated into English by Kristen Bakken. The Oral History Transcript Folder contains a transcript of an oral history interview of John Philipps conducted by Michael M. Miller of the GRHC on June 23, 1993.

The Correspondence Series consists of letters to- and from- John Philipps, spanning the years 1980 – 2009. The letters are in German, English, and Russian and concern his studies of Germans from Russia and also chronicle the writing and publishing of his books. Many of these letters are sent to- and from- the Germans from Russia Heritage Center regarding research and Philipps’ tours of Germany.

Contained within the Manuscript Series are three typewritten and hand-corrected manuscripts, mainly consisting of several of John Philipps’ books and articles. Die Wolga Kolonien is a manuscript documenting the family groups who settled in various German Russian settlements around the Volga River in Russia. There are two drafts of Speyer im Beresaner Tal der Südukraine:1809/1810-März 1944 heute Pestschanyj Brod. The final publication is Die deutschen Bauernam Schwarzern Meer which has two drafts plus the original photos which were used for the book.

Within the Subject Series are five folders of resources which were arranged in the following manner. The Booklets Folder contains two small booklets: “American Historical Society of Germans from Russia 1980 Convention”and “Golden Gate Chapter A.H.S.G.R. June 1974. The Ephemera Folder contains four holiday cards, a funeral announcement of Christine Philipps, and a name badge for John Phillips. The Famine Materials Folder features an article about starvation endured by Russians during 1922-1923 and transcripts of letters written by survivors of this period, all of which are in German. The Maps Folder contains fourteen maps, mainly photocopied. Some of the titles of these maps are “Die Glückstaler Mutter- und Tochterkolonien”, “Mutterkolonien, Limane, Täler und Flüsse im Odessaer Gebiet”, and “Die deutschen Siedlungen und Landbesitz der Beresaner Kolonisten bis 1918”. Also contained within this folder are maps of the country estate of Dominik Sattler, upon which John Philipps lived. The Periodical Clippings Folder contains nine newspaper articles and magazine clippings in German, Russian, and English. Some of the clippings include article about St. Petersburg and Catherine the Great, and also a German-language poem about the colonies in Russia.

The Photograph Series contains 138 photographic images. Several of the images are gelatin silver prints, while the majority of the images are prints of 35mm color images. The AHSGR Group Photos folder contains group portraits of the attendees of the 1975, 1978, and 1993 American Historical Society of the Germans from Russia. The Agricultural Photographs folder contains images of agricultural scenes taken at German Russian colonies. They are black and white. Also present within this folder is one sheet of 35 mm negatives of several of the images. The Exteriors Folder contains three photographs and one photocopy of exterior shots taken in various unnoted locations. The five folders of images taken in various sites in Kutschurgan, Ukraine consist of exterior shots and photos of individuals and buildings taken by Peter Goldade in March 1997. The Kutschurgan photos are all 35 mm color images. The Our European Trip folder contains photographs taken of Mr. and Mrs. Philipps vacation to Europe in 1994. These were used for the book of the same name. Also included within this folder are several picture postcards that were featured in the book. The Portraits folder features photographs of individuals and groups. Some of the subjects are Waldemar Heim, Simon and Elizabeth Heim, a group portrait of students of the Speier School in 1942, and a 1985 portrait of John Philipps. Also contained within this collection is one albumin print of Leo Tolstoy and Vladimir Chertkov in Tolstoy’s study, c. 1905. The Travel Book folder contains images that were used in a book of travel images, for which there is no information regarding title.

The Publications Series contains one copy of Die tragische Odyssee der Ruβlanddeutschen which was co-written by Philipps.