Most of what we know about Luna Souhami comes from the naturalization application of her husband Joseph Souhami, a native of Izmir born on December 18, 1881. Luna, identified in his naturalization application as an “Ottoman (Spanish Jewess),” married Joseph in Izmir on December 7, 1903. He (perhaps accompanied by Luna) arrived in the United Kingdom in May 1901. Joseph Souhami indicated that their marriage certificate was destroyed years before by fire. The couple’s children were Rachel (born June 14, 1905 at 3 Soho Street, W.C.) and Alia (born January 5, 1907 at Bamborough Gardens, Shepherds Bush). Luna’s sisters-in-law (Joseph Souhami’s sisters) were Vida Arditti (Izmir) and Joya Fernandez (Lyons, France), both Ottoman.[1] Her brother-in-law (Joseph’s brother) was Benjamin Souhami, an Ottoman subject and French protégé, who was deceased by 1929. Benjamin’s wife was Caden Souhami, née Algranati, an Ottoman subject and “Ottoman (Spanish Jewess),” still living in Izmir by 1929. Raphael Souhami, the son of Benjamin and Caden, immigrated to England just before World War I and in 1919 became Luna’s business partner at the Vigo Art Galleries.
Luna’s husband Joseph ran a brisk business as a dealer in antiques, embroideries and carpets at 37 Newman Street, W., operating a business in his own name and his career entailed frequent travel. The naturalization application does not disclose whether Luna also traveled for business, but does indicate that Joseph acted in an advisory role from November 1919-May 1924 to his wife, a partner in the Vigo Art Galleries, which was a similar business to his own. After her retirement from this business, he had nothing to do with the firm.
As an enemy alien, both Luna and her husband were required to account for their movements within England and in and out of the country. The two moved domiciles fairly often and had more than one residence. From 1918 to 1924, they lived in an apartment at 86 Marine Parade, Brighton, in a large house converted into flats. For his business trip to Paris, Italy, and Egypt (1923-1924), Joseph gave up his Brighton residence. Luna left the United Kingdom on December 20, 1923, perhaps to join him. During none of their visits to Nice, Paris, or elsewhere in Europe did they relinquish his domicile in the United Kingdom. From 1923 to 1924, for example, they also had a temporary address at Hanover Gate Mansions in Regents Park, N.W. They owned a villa at 265 Promenade des Anglais in Nice, where Luna and their daughter were vacationing at the time Joseph filled out his naturalization questionnaire in 1925. The Home Office noted that Souhami spent two months in Nice each winter since 1916, including January and February of 1924. On April 22, 1924, they moved from 86 Marine Parade. At the time of his application in 1925, Joseph Souhami had a temporary address in Royal Palace Hotel, High Street, Kensington and a permanent address in Acton, Middlesex, where in September of 1924 he had purchased a house at 46 Creswick Road for £1,080.
Both Luna and her husband were still registered with the police as aliens at the time of his naturalization application. Luna Souhami held a French passport issued in London on November 15, 1920. Their two British-born children were “educated to English ideals,” including a 17-year-old son who wished to enter Cambridge University. Upon his final application in 1925, Souhami was 44 years of age. He, and by default Luna, were naturalized on March 19, 1926.
An internet search reveals that their Nice property was a seaside mansion called “La Luna,” named after Luna Souhami, and was situated along the French Riviera on the Mediterranean. It was embellished with the type of luxuries the Souhamis sold in their business, including ancient and modern art objects, tapestries, and Aubusson carpets, all of which were sold at auction in May 1929 by M. J. Souhami. Luna was widowed on September 26, 1926.[2] Starting in the late twentieth century, the mansion was abandoned for close to 20 years by its owners, degraded, occupied by squatters, and vandalized. Because of its historic status, it was inscribed in 2010 as a patrimony to safeguard and in March 2012, the municipality initiated an expropriation procedure.
The file was originally classified until 2031 and appears after the file of Joseph Souhami’s nephew, Raphael Souhami.
[1] Her name reads “Veida,” probably an error.
[2] https://bibliotheque-numerique.inha.fr/collection/item/68882-objets-d-art-et-d-ameublement-anciens-et-modernes-garnissant-la-villa-la-luna-collection-j-souhami-vente-des-30-et-31-mai-1929?offset=30580; “Re Joseph Souhami, Deceased,” The London Gazette (3/12/1929), 1783; Commissaires-priseurs de Nice, Vente après décès de Monsieur J. Souhami et par autorité de Justice, des Objets d’Art et d’Ameublement (1929).