Check out the article about our work and this trunk's journey in the the Tennessean:
The trunk told a tale of Hollywood scandal. Could a TN antique dealer find its home? by Keith Sharon
This journey embodies compassion, persistence, and the will to connect a family with their past.
When friends shared pictures of an old trunk they had acquired, I had no inkling it would lead to such a remarkable journey. But first, let me introduce Luis Alberni.
Luis Alberni was born in Barcelona, Spain, on October 4, 1887. After moving to the United States in 1912, he made a name for himself on Broadway and in movies while living in New York. There, he married Charlotte Hall, and the couple had three children.
Around 1930, Luis relocated to California to further his acting career. He and Charlotte went through a series of separations and reconciliations before eventually divorcing in 1938. Luis married Wanda Wilson in 1940; though they faced a brief separation in 1941, they reconciled and remained together until his death on December 23, 1962, at The Motion Picture and Television Fund Retirement Home in Hollywood. Navigating a public relationship certainly posed its challenges.
Luis's career spanned 50 years, showcasing his immense talent and comedic genius. He spoke seven languages, was a gourmet chef, an artist, and a pianist. His interactions with Hollywood’s greatest talents are a testament to his remarkable career.
Now, about the trunk. Once I received the photos of Luis’s theater trunk, I embarked on a quest to locate a direct descendant. After a few days of searching, I found Luis's great-great-grandson through his marriage to Wanda. I reached out, hoping for a response, and was delighted when he got back to me. We began a heartfelt conversation about Luis, the trunk’s history, and how to reunite this cherished family heirloom.
Luis and Wanda’s great-great-grandson shared that the trunk, along with many of Luis’s belongings, had been lost to theft about 60 years ago. My friends kindly held onto the trunk for him, and a few weeks later, he made the journey from California to Tennessee, via Georgia, to retrieve the precious family artifact he had heard about from his Nana.
Remarkably, the trunk had even appeared in the film Women of the Movement, and Luis's great-great-grandson had been searching for it for a long time.
Though I couldn't be there in person when he picked it up, I spoke with him on the phone. I was deeply moved when he mentioned that his Nana had missed the trunk and talked about it often.
The efforts of so many to make this reunion possible are truly heartwarming and reaffirm why I began this project. My deepest thanks go to my friends who set us on this path, to Luis’s great-great-grandson, his friend who accompanied him on the trip, and everyone who is reading this.
Comments