Bell & Bro.

American, active 1860s-1870s

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In 1860, Nephi Bell, then 17 years old, worked as an ambrotypist for Turner & Co. in Washington, DC.By 1862 Nephi had partnered with a brother Thomas Henry Bell as Bell & Bro. The studio likely employed another brother, William H. Bell, and their father Francis H. Bell who had previously been lock- and gun-smiths. Nephi died in November of that year, and another brother, James (or Jackson) W. Bell took his place in the partnership. In 1864, Thomas alone was proprietor of Bell & Bro. Thomas died in 1866, and William had formed his own partnership with A. F. Hall as Bell & Hall. The following year, Francis and William continued the Bell & Bro. studio, though the partners were father and son. In 1868 and 1869, and intermittently thereafter, Francis alone operated the studio, though his youngest son Charles Milton Bell joined in 1870. The younger Bell soon established his own studio while his father ran Bell & Bro. until about 1875. C. M. Bell's career had taken off and Francis likely worked for his son until his death in 1880.