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Bell Brothers Collection

A description of the collection at Syracuse University


Finding aid created by: BMF
Date: 5 Mar 2015

Biographical History

Joseph and Max Bell established the Bell Music Box record shop in Manhattan, New York City following World War II. The brothers were Russian immigrants, who spent time in Cuba before coming to America. While in Cuba, they took an interest in Spanish language recordings as well as the music of the Caribbean. Their store was known to record aficionados and collectors nationwide and was comprehensive in its breadth -- if they did not have a copy of a particular recording, they would make their own. As a result, their inventory contained both commercially produced and sold recordings, and personal copies made for their own reference and use.

In 1963, Syracuse University purchased the entire inventory of the Bell Brothers' store. Commercial recordings were integrated into the Belfer Commercial Phonograph Disc Recordings. Latin American and Caribbean recordings were separated into the Bell Brothers Collection of Latin American and Caribbean Recordings. Noncommercial recordings were retained as the Bell Brothers Collection.

Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Bell Brothers Collection consists of instantaneous disc recordings, many of them transcriptions of radio broadcasts, as well as dubbed copies of commercial releases made on site at the Bell Music Box. For ease of locating a specific title, the inventory below lists items alphabetically by title, though they are not physically arranged in this order.

Arrangement of the Collection

Arranged by format. Within that, items are physically arranged sequentially by ID number.

Restrictions

Use Restrictions:

Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

Related Material

Commercial recordings were integrated into the Belfer Commercial Phonograph Disc Recordings. Latin American and Caribbean recordings were separated into the Bell Brothers Collection of Latin American and Caribbean Recordings.

See also the Belfer Commercial Phonograph Disc Collection and the Bell Brothers Collection of Latin American and Caribbean Recordings.

Subject Headings

Corporate Bodies

Bell Brothers Records.

Subjects

20th century American music.
American popular music.
Jazz -- United States.
Music -- United States.
Radio advertising.
Radio broadcasting.

Genres and Forms

45 rpm records.
78 rpm records.
Audiotapes.
Long-playing records.
Phonograph records.
Sound recordings.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Bell Brothers Collection,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Purchase, 1963.

Table of Contents

Phonograph records

Audiotapes

Inventory