Social Victorians/People/Arthur Sassoon

Also Known As

• Family name: Sassoon
• Member of the Sassoon family

Timeline

1897 July 2, Friday, Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Sassoon attended the Duchess of Devonshire's fancy-dress ball at Devonshire House.

Costume at the Duchess of Devonshire's 2 July 1897 Fancy-dress Ball

Mrs. Louise Sassoon

Louise Sassoon as La Dogeressa. ©National Portrait Gallery, London.

At the Duchess of Devonshire's fancy-dress ball, Louise (Mrs. Arthur) Sassoon (at 202) led in the 17th-century procession as La Dogaressa, with Arthur, Viscount Peel as Il Doge; she was at Table 10 in the first seating for supper.

Alice Hughes's portrait of "Eugenie Louise Judith Sassoon (née Perugia) as La Dogeressa" in costume is photogravure #48 in the album presented to the Duchess of Devonshire and now in the National Portrait Gallery. The printing on the portrait says, "Mrs. Arthur Sassoon as La Dogeressa," with a Long S in Sassoon and Dogeressa.

She seems to have been attended by two pages, Evelyn Rothschild (at 669) and Anthony Rothschild (at 670), sons of her sister, Marie Perugia Rothschild.

A Dogaressa was the wife of the Doge, or the leading official and chief magistrate, of Venice between 726 and 1797. Eight women were Dogaressa in the 17th century in Venice.

Arthur Sassoon in costume as Chief of the Janissaries. ©National Portrait Gallery, London.

Arthur Sassoon

Arthur Sassoon (at 553) was dressed as Chief of the Janissaries. Lafayette's portrait of "Arthur Abraham David Sassoon as Chief of the Janissaries" in costume is photogravure #49 in the album presented to the Duchess of Devonshire and now in the National Portrait Gallery. The printing on the portrait says, "Mr. Arthur Sassoon as Chief of the Janissaries," with a Long S in Sassoon and Janissaries.

Janissaries were members of a prestigious Ottoman military unit from the middle of the 14th century to the middle of the 19th century.

Demographics

• Nationality: English
• Religion: Jewish

Residences

• 6 (1881) and then 8 Queen's Gardens, Hove, East Sussex (1883 – 13 March 1912)

Family

• Arthur Abraham David Sassoon (25 May 1840 – 13 March 1912)
• Louise (Eugenie Louise) Perugia (1854-1943)

Relations

• Louise Perugia Sassoon's sister was Marie Perugia Rothschild, who was the mother of Evelyn Rothschild and Anthony Rothschild, her pages for the Duchess of Devonshire's 1897 fancy-dress ball.

Questions and Notes

1. Arthur Sassoon had his photograph taken by Lafayette, but Louise Sassoon had hers taken by a woman, Alice Hughes.