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Artists›William H. Bell

William H. Bell

Artist

WA-00116462

Photography

Representation

None documented

Institutional Exhibitions

Works in Collection

Assets Indexed

Authority-backed Facts

Publications Referenced

80%

Profile Completeness

Cultural Positioning

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No influence edges encoded yet.

Authority Records (2)

WikidataQ1755030

Smithsonian

Selected Institutional Exhibitions

View all exhibitions →

No image

Forgotten Photographers

Museum of Modern Art, New York

1951

No image

The Museum Collection of Photographs

Museum of Modern Art, New York

1945–1946

No image

Photographs of the Civil War and the American Frontier

Museum of Modern Art, New York

1942

Source Registry (1)

Smithsonianhttps://www.si.edu/object/npg_S_NPG.65.50
Tier 1 · Institutional90%

About

Why this artist matters now

William H. Bell was an English-born American photographer in the latter half of the 19th century. Many of his photographs documenting war-time diseases and combat injuries were published in the medical book, Medical and Surgical History of the War of the Rebellion, and he took photographs of western landscapes taken as part of the Wheeler expedition in 1872. In his later years, he wrote articles on the dry plate process and other techniques for various photography journals.

Source: Smithsonian Institution · Trust score: 90% · Updated 1mo ago

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Medium

Photography

Related Artists

6 in graph

Canonical record

Artworks (11)

Perched Rock, Rocker Creek, Arizona

1872 · Albumen print

Image/paper: 27.4 × 20.1 cm (10 13/16 × 7 15/16 in.); Album page: 49.8 × 38.5 cm (19 5/8 × 15 3/16 in.)

Art Institute of Chicago

"The Bath," a dripping spring in Kanab Cañon. Temperature, 69° Fahr, No. 9 from the series "Geographical Explorations and Surveys West of the 100th Meridian"

1872 · Albumen print, stereo

Each image: 9.3 × 7.4 cm (3 11/16 × 2 15/16 in.); Card: 10 × 17.7 cm (3 15/16 × 7 in.)

Art Institute of Chicago

The "Vermillion Cliff," a typical plateau edge, as seen from Jacobs Pool, Arizona. From its top a plateau stretches to the right, and from its base another to the left. Their difference of level is 1.500 feet, and the step is too steep for scaling, No. 15 from the series "Geographical Explorations and Surveys West of the 100th Meridian"

1872 · Albumen print, stereo

Each image: 9.3 × 7.5 cm (3 11/16 × 3 in.); Card: 10 × 17.7 cm (3 15/16 × 7 in.)

Art Institute of Chicago

Marble Cañon, one of the gorges of the Colorado here, 1.200 feet deep. The steep cliff is gray limestone and the slope below a brilliant red sandstone, No. 13 from the series "Geographical Explorations and Surveys West of the 100th Meridian"

1872 · Albumen print, stereo

Each image: 9.3 × 7.4 cm (3 11/16 × 2 15/16 in.); Card: 10 × 17.7 cm (3 15/16 × 7 in.)

Art Institute of Chicago

The northern wall of the Grand Cañon of the Colorado, near the foot of To-ro-weap valley. The rounded rocks of the foreground are sand-stone, No. 14 from the series "Geographical Explorations and Surveys West of the 100th Meridian"

1872 · Albumen print, stereo

Each image: 9.1 × 7.5 cm (3 5/8 × 3 in.); Card: 10 × 17.7 cm (3 15/16 × 7 in.)

Art Institute of Chicago

The Cañon of Kanab Creek, near its junction with the Grand Cañon of the Colorado. In the foreground is a dripping spring affording a shower bath. Temperature, 69° Fahr, No. 8 from the series "Geographical Explorations and Surveys West of the 100th Meridian"

1872 · Albumen print, stereo

Each image: 9.2 × 7.4 cm (3 5/8 × 2 15/16 in.); Card: 10 × 17.7 cm (3 15/16 × 7 in.)

Art Institute of Chicago

View in the Grand Cañon of the Colorado River, No. 12 from the series "Geographical Explorations and Surveys West of the 100th Meridian"

1872 · Albumen print, stereo

Each image: 9.2 × 7.4 cm (3 5/8 × 2 15/16 in.); Card: 10 × 17.7 cm (3 15/16 × 7 in.)

Art Institute of Chicago

Canon of Kanab Wash, Looking South, Colorado River

1872 · Albumen print from glass plate negative

Image: 35.5 x 27.8 cm (14 x 10 15/16 in.); Paper: 50.5 x 40.6 cm (19 7/8 x 16 in.)

Cleveland Museum of Art

Looking South into the Grand Canyon, Colorado River, Sheavwitz

1872 · albumen print from wet collodion negative

Image: 27.5 x 20.3 cm (10 13/16 x 8 in.); Mounted: 50 x 39.4 cm (19 11/16 x 15 1/2 in.); Matted: 61 x 50.8 cm (24 x 20 in.)

Cleveland Museum of Art

Grand Cañon of the Colorado River, Mouth of Kanab Wash, looking West

1872 · Albumen silver print from glass negative

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Grand Cañon, Colorado River, Mouth of Kanab Wash, Looking West

1872 · albumen print from tannin dry plate negative

Image: 27.5 x 20.2 cm (10 13/16 x 7 15/16 in.); Matted: 61 x 50.8 cm (24 x 20 in.)

Cleveland Museum of Art

View all 11 artworks →

Artwork sources (3)

11 published of 11 catalogued · 11 with image

Art Institute Chicago
7 published7 img
Cleveland Museum of Art
3 published3 img
The Met
1 published1 img

Per-Artwork Provenance Chains (top 3)

3 entries · 1 sources

Canon of Kanab Wash, Looking South, Colorado River
1872 · Cleveland · 1 prov
Url Pattern Extraction 2026-05-27·accession_number
Looking South into the Grand Canyon, Colorado River, Sheavwitz
1872 · Cleveland · 1 prov
Url Pattern Extraction 2026-05-27·accession_number
Grand Cañon, Colorado River, Mouth of Kanab Wash, Looking West
1872 · Cleveland · 1 prov
Url Pattern Extraction 2026-05-27·accession_number

Record

Images

Artsy

Record

Exhibitions and timeline

Group Exhibition Forgotten Photographers

New York · 1951

Group Exhibition The Museum Collection of Photographs

New York · 1945

Group Exhibition Photographs of the Civil War and the American Frontier

New York · 1942