William C Bell

photographer: W C Bell
Cor. Market and High Sts
West Chester, PA

Available documents have shown that William C Bell was a photographer from 1894 through 1944 when he died at age 75. While his base operation seemed to be in York, PA, (he also kept a residence there) he had as many as four other studios operating at the same time in neighboring towns. Piecing it together through city directories of these towns met missing pages and missing years but this is the best timeline result that could be made.

York, PA
York city directories after 1904, are available in odd years only
1894 through 1902
York, PA, studio at 6 w Market
1904 through 1913
York, PA, studio at 10-12 w Market
1915 through 1921
York, PA, apparently either works out of his home at 302 e King or works in one of the other studios in other towns
1923 through 1925
York, PA, studio at 21 s George
1927
York, PA, studio at 25 s George
1931 through 1933
York, PA, studio at 133 s George
1935
York, PA, studio at 38 e Market
1935 to 1944
York studio location is unknown

Wilkes-Barre, PA
1906 Dec 01 The Wilkes-Barre, PA, Record, news item mentions Bell has returned from York, so possibly he had a gallery there at that time.
1914 - 1919 Wilkes-Barre, PA city directory as photographer at 39 s Main
1921 Wilkes-Barre, PA, NOT in city directory

Westchester, PA
1886, 1888, 1904, 1908, 1909, 1910, 1912, 1923, 1928, 1930, 1932 NOT in West Chester, PA, available directories
The studio in Westchester, PA, at Market and High streets, either occurred before 1886 or only for a short period during the missing years such as 1911 and 1924.

Frederick, MD
There was also a studio at Frederick, MD, as mentioned in an 1891 newspaper item. City directories from Frederick, MD, are available from 1925 or later so this could not be confirmed. (See article in next row)

This cabinet card from West Chester, MD, can only be dated at around 1891.

Below is a small ad that Bell was apparently fond of. It ran 279 times between 1898 and 1900.

(York, PA) Gazette - 02 May 1899

The ads below ran only once.

The York (PA) Daily - 23 Aug 1907

The York (PA) Daily - 16 Dec 1910

The York (PA) Daily - 06 Apr 1861

Wilkes-Barre (PA) Record - 01 12 1906

Pittston Gazette - 19 Nov 1912

The (York, PA) Gazette and Daily - 11 Mar 1927

The (York, PA) Gazette and Daily - 16 Sep 1943


photographer: W C Bell
7 East Patrick Street, Frederick, MD
Example from PhotoTree
Finished around 1891

photographer: W C Bell
6 W Market, York, PA
example from auction site

photographer: W C Bell
6 West Market St, York, PA
From the Flickr Collection of Ken
(same set as the card on the left)

photographer: W C Bell
4 W Market Street, York, PA
example from auction site

photographer: W C Bell
no 10 W Market Street, York, PA
example from auction site
(same chair as the card on the left)

photographer: W C Bell
6 W Market, York, PA
example from auction site

photographer: W C Bell
6 W Market, York, PA
example from auction site

photographer: William C Bell
6 West Market Street, York, PA
example from auction site

photographer: W C Bell
6 W Market, York, PA
example from auction site

photographer: W C Bell
6 West Market Street, York, PA
example from auction site

photographer: W C Bell
6 West Market Street, York, PA
example from pinterest

photographer: W C Bell
6 West Market Street, York, PA
example from pinterest

photographer: W C Bell
6 West Market, York, PA
example from contributor

photographer: W C Bell
6 West Market, York, PA
example from auction site

reverse design of both cards at left

photographer: W C Bell
Lewis Bldg, Frederick, MD
Example from auction site
Finished around 1891
see previous mention above

photographer: W C Bell
Lewis Bldg, Frederick, MD
Example from pinterest, no source shown
Finished around 1891

photographer: W C Bell
6 West Market St, York, PA
example from contributor

photographer: W C Bell
cor Market & High Streets, West Chester, PA
example from auction site

photographer: W C Bell
6 West Market, York, PA
example from Picclick

photographer: William F Bell
96 State Street, Chicago, IL
example from auction site

reverse of card at the left

For this one, no connection has been made to W C Bell of Pennsylvania.

The monogram here seems to be "Wm F B" and the reverse does say "Wm ? Bell" but there is no apparent connection to Wm C Bell of PA. No documents have been found yet that places William C Bell in Chicago at any time.

Still looking.

Not the one you were looking for? Here's the photographer's INDEX by name. All the Cabinet Card photographers of the 19th century found in LOST GALLERY are listed there.

Cabinet cards typically have the photographer’s name and address printed on the bottom edge or the reverse of the card. 19th century photographers moved around a lot. The basic idea here is to find WHEN a photographer was WHERE, which will help date an unidentified CABINET CARD from your family album.

This is a work always in progress.

Aditional information and New examples are always welcome. Any additional information will help narrow the time that these precious antiques were made.

All submissions should be free of glare and shadows.
Do not crop.
Leave a border around each card. The edges are sometimes an important clue to the age of the card.
Email to the address found in the profile at the bottom of this page.

Some examples on this page have been enhanced or restored for clarity and presentation here.

This page is free for educational and research purposes only but, as always, if the original owner of any of these examples objects to the use on this page, just let me know and they will be immediately removed.