Archives Directory for the History of Collecting in America

Bell, James Ford, 1879-1961

printer
print view
role Collector
dates 1879-1961
city Minneapolis
stateMN
other citiesPhiladelphia, PA; Lawrenceville , NJ;
sex M
historical notes James Ford Bell was a businessman and collector of Decorative arts who specialized in American and English silver.

Bell was a philanthropist, vice president of the Minnesota Art Museum, and the Director of the Lehigh Valley Rail Road, the Northwestern National Bank and the Washburn-Crosby Company.

Bell was a supporter of the Museum of Natural History at the University of Minnesota (renamed in his honor in 1966) and a devoted friend of the University of Minnesota, Mr. Bell served as a member of the Board of Regents from 1939 until 1961.

The James Ford Bell Library, a part of the Library at the University, houses Mr. Bell’s collection of rare books dedicated to the field of trade containing fine manuscripts, books and maps dating to the earliest available records throughout the fifteenth, sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

Bell also was a donor to the Department of Decorative Arts, Sculpture and Architecture of The Minneapolis Institute of Arts. His gifts range from American and English silver pieces to elegant rooms from the colonial Charleston, South Carolina, home of Colonel John Stuart.

Bell married Louise Heffelfinger, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, in December 1902. They had four children: James Ford, Jr., Charles H., Samuel H., and Sally L. Mr. Bell died in 1961.
decades
of activity
1910-1920
1920-1930
1930-1940
1940-1950
1950-1960
updated 10/31/2024 13:33:21
bibliographic
search
Search Frick Art Reference Library Catalog
Search Photoarchive
Search Worldcat
Search Library of Congress Name Authority File (LCNAF)
Search Wikidata Entry
Archives/Repository Collection Title Collection Details
Minnesota Historical society
Division of Archives and Manuscripts
James Ford Bell and family papers, 1861-1961. see details...
Minnesota Historical society
Division of Archives and Manuscripts
William C. Edgar and family papers, 1832-1949. see details...
Hoover Institution
Library and Archives
James Ford Bell Papers, 1917-1930 see details...