Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
Joe Bell fonds
General material designation
- Textual record
- Graphic material
- Sound recording
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Title notes
- Source of title proper: Title based on the content of the fonds.
Level of description
Fonds
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Edition area
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Class of material specific details area
Statement of scale (cartographic)
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Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)
Dates of creation area
Date(s)
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
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Archival description area
Name of creator
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
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.