Bell, James Ford, 1879-1961 |
print view
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role
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Collector |
dates
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1879-1961 |
city
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Minneapolis |
state | MN | other cities | Philadelphia, PA; Lawrenceville , NJ; |
sex
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M |
historical notes
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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.
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decades of activity | 1910-1920 1920-1930 1930-1940 1940-1950 1950-1960
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updated
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10/31/2024 13:33:21 |
bibliographic search |
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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
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James Ford Bell Papers, 1917-1930 |
see details... |
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