William Bell
The Golden Age of Fashion photography.
William Bell Estate LLC has archived approximately 10% of the large format, medium format, and 35 mm transparencies in our holdings. We are also in the process of digitizing several 16 mm films, logs of sessions with William Bell, and his technical notebooks.
We intend to send out monthly updates documenting our progress and additions to the online archive.
We welcome inquires from museums, galleries, and institutes devoted to the study of fashion photography.
When appropriate we will issue editions of William Bell’s work: subscribers will receive notices of available editions.
We also welcome inquires for licensing of copyrighted work held by WilliamBellEstate LLC and Roberta Bell Liepolt.
An archive of photography
Bobbi Bell Liepolt (daughter) and James Liepolt (grandson) discovered 139 large format color transparencies shortly after Bill Bell’s death on Veterans Day 2012. None had ever been printed or published. We have scanned high dpi images. The William Bell Estate LLC will offer limited editions of these and many other high quality transparencies and slides. The archive currently includes collections from his published photographic work as well as records from the several successful advertising campaigns entrusted to Bill, his studies and experimental shots of celebrities and models, many of whom defined the fashion culture of 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s.Included as well are stills and clips from several 16mm reels Bell shot of fashion friends and while on location.
William Bell Estate LLC was formed in 2026 by his daughter and her family (spouse, Werner; daughter, Jordan; son, James) to celebrate Bell’s career, preserve his work, and offer his archive for study and appreciation.
Additionally Bell left a notebook logging more than a decade of jobs including models, clients, and identifying information, The entries appear to be by Bell, himself, and perhaps assistants. He also left to illustrated flip pads detailing the use of backgrounds, lights, reflective surface, and measurements… many with Polaroid thumbnails and hand drawn sketches.
Index…updated as archives are digitized and copyrighted