Fonds P010 - Joe Bell fonds

Title and statement of responsibility area

Title proper

Joe Bell fonds

General material designation

  • Textual record
  • Graphic material
  • Sound recording

Parallel title

Other title information

Title statements of responsibility

Title notes

  • Source of title proper: Title based on the content of the fonds.

Level of description

Fonds

Reference code

P010

Edition area

Edition statement

Edition statement of responsibility

Class of material specific details area

Statement of scale (cartographic)

Statement of projection (cartographic)

Statement of coordinates (cartographic)

Statement of scale (architectural)

Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)

Dates of creation area

Date(s)

  • 1934-1950, predominantly 1934-1945 (Creation)
    Creator
    Bell, Joe

Physical description area

Physical description

10 cm of textual records
74 photographs
11 audio discs

Publisher's series area

Title proper of publisher's series

Parallel titles of publisher's series

Other title information of publisher's series

Statement of responsibility relating to publisher's series

Numbering within publisher's series

Note on publisher's series

Archival description area

Name of creator

(1908-1972)

Biographical history

Joe Bell was born December 20, 1908 in Chester-Le-Street, Durham, England. He emigrated with his family to Canada in 1919 and settled in Toronto. He married in 1934, and he and his wife Anne had a daughter, Joan. He died in Montreal December 4, 1972.

He received musical training through membership in the Salvation Army Dovercourt Corps Band. He worked as a bank clerk, but wanted to earn his living as a trombonist. In 1934 he left Toronto and the Old Mill, where he had been playing with the Leo Romanelli Dance Orchestra, to join the Kramer Band in Montreal. There he played in numerous night clubs such as The Lido, Chez Maurice, and The Normandie Roof in the Mount Royal Hotel. From 1945 to 1965 Joe Bell played with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra as first trombone, and then as second. He also taught at McGill University's Music Department, as well as at the McGill Summer Music School in the Eastern Townships. He retired in 1965.

Custodial history

Textual records and photographs, later transferred to Joe Bell fonds, were already in the custody of Concordia University Archives. Photographs taken by conservator of Joe Bell's Scrapbook before and after conservation treatment. Phonorecords given to Jack Litchfield by Ann Russell, second wife of Joe Bell, in 1995. The fonds was transferred from Concordia University's Records Management and Archives Department to Concordia University Libraries' Special Collections on March 15-17 2016, April 20, 2016, May 4, 2016 and May 10, 2016.

Scope and content

The fonds provides information on jazz music and musicians in Montreal during the 1930s and 1940s.

The fonds consists of two scrapbooks Joe Bell kept during those years. It contains publicity photographs of orchestras and individual performers, clippings, menus, and cards from various night clubs and ballrooms. The fonds also includes 11 audio discs.

Notes area

Physical condition

Immediate source of acquisition

Arrangement

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

    Location of originals

    Availability of other formats

    The scrapbooks have been digitized for consultation.

    Restrictions on access

    Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication

    Finding aids

    Box listings are available.

    Finding aid

    Associated materials

    Related materials

    Accruals

    Conservation

    The scrapbook has received conservation treatment. The items have been placed on acid-free paper in Mylar sleeves and the scrapbook has been reassembled into a format identical to the original.

    Alternative identifier(s)

    Standard number

    Standard number

    Access points

    Subject access points

    Place access points

    Name access points

    Genre access points

    Description record identifier

    Institution identifier

    Rules or conventions

    Status

    Level of detail

    Language of description

      Script of description

        Sources

        Accession area