Nathan Solomon Joseph was born in St Botolph-without-Bishopsgate, London, England on 17 December 1834. After studying at University College, London from 1852 to 1854, he was articled to Daniel Addington Cobbett (1816-1875) from 1855 to 1858. He then remained with him as his principal assistant.
He commenced independent practice as an architect in London in 1860 and was in partnership with George Pearson (1846-1934) from 1871 to c.1885. In 1885, with Charles James Smithem (1856-1937) he formed the partnership Joseph & Smithem. His, son Charles Sampson Joseph (1872-1948), subsequently joined the practice which was renamed Joseph, Son & Smithem. The partnership was dissolved on 31 December 1903.
Joseph was one of the leading synagogue architects of his generation. He designed the Great Victoria Street Synagogue in Belfast (1870); with George Ashdown Audsley (1838-1925), the New West End Synagogue at St. Petersburgh Place, Bayswater, London (1870); the Garnethill Synagogue in Glasgow (1878); and the Hampstead Synagogue in West Hampstead, London (1892-1901). Joseph was also architect of the Willesden United Synagogue Cemetery (consecrated in 1873) and was responsible for the design of the mourning hall and ritual buildings.
Joseph was elected an Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects (ARIBA) in 1863, and a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects FRIBA) in 1890. He died in London on 11 June 1909.
See Historic England [link below]
Building Jerusalem: Jewish architecture in Britain. Edited by Sharman Kadish. Elstree, Hertfordshire, England: Vallentine Mitchell, 1996
Directory of British Architects 1834-1914. Compiled by Antonia Brodie, et al. Volume 1: A-K. London; New York: British Architectural Library, Royal Institute of British Architects/Continuum, 2001
'Obituary'. Building vol. 96, 19 June 1909 p. 737
'Obituary'. Royal Institute o=f British Architects Journal vol. 16, 1909 p. 607