C.M. Bell — C.M. Bell Studio

One hundred fifty years ago, Charles Milton Bell's Washington, D.C. studio welcomed all visitors from all realms of the American experience.

Hundreds of photos are continually being evaluated and uploaded. In some cases, we are retouching damaged prints and include some colorized interpretations in the galleries. We retain the original digital prints as they look today.

Profiles & Shared Articles

General Nelson Appleton Miles was an American military general who served in the American Civil War, the American Indian Wars, and the Spanish–American War. He was wounded in several battles, fought in Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and the

In commemoration of Women's History Month on the anniversary of her death, March 13, 1906, we share this C.M. Bell photograph of Susan B. Anthony. She visited Bell's Washington D.C. studio in 1891. Born in 1820 and raised in the Quaker tradition, she

Clifford Howard was a lawyer, D.C. government clerk, and freelance writer. He married Hattie Case, and they were active in local literary circles. They were members of the Short Story Club of Washington. In 1891, the Washington Evening Star began pub

Mabel Scott was born in 1876 and was the daughter of Robert and Francis Scott. Learn more about Charles Milton Bell's D.C. studio visitors @cmbellstudio #historicphotos #gildedage #ancestry

Vesta Lockwood was the daughter of P.J. Lockwood, an attorney in Washington, D.C. in 1890. She would marry and be known in DC society as Mrs. Vesta Watson. She died in 1968 and is interred in the family plot in D.C.'s Rock Creek Cemetery. Learn more

William Loeb Jr. was born in Albany, New York. He served as secretary to the Republican county committee of Albany County and as vice president of the Unconditional Republican Club. He was appointed as official stenographer to New York governor Theod

She was born Catharine Dorr in 1877. She married William Loeb, Jr., personal secretary to Theodore Roosevelt. She would have one son, William III, and died in 1968. Learn more about Charles Milton Bell's D.C. studio visitors @cmbellstudio #historicp

On this day, February 22, 290 years ago, George Washington was born at Popes Creek in Westmoreland County, Virginia. We share this rare photo of his beloved #gwmountvernon photographed by Bell & Brothers in the late 1860s. Support Mount Vernon'

We share a C.M. Bell photo of James A. Garfield on this President's Day. He was born in 1831 and became the 20th president of the United States. He had the second shortest tenure in U.S. presidential history. @GarfieldNPS attacked political corruptio

Father Valentine F. Schmitt was born in Bavaria in 1844 immigrated to America in 1862. He joined the Union Army's 100th Pennsylvania regiment in action in the Western Theater. Following the War, he was ordained in 1868 and began his pastoral work at

Rev. Joshua H. Jones was born at Pine Plains, South Carolina, in 1856. He was a diligent student, studying at several colleges, including Howard and Wilberforce Universities. "He has always been an ardent lover of his race, of his church, of his

Bishop H. M. Turner, born into slavery in 1833, would learn to read from a white boy and read the Bible five times by the age of 15. A major force in the A.M.E. Church, he would be the first Bishop of Africa. Learn more about Charles Milton Bell's D.

Rev. Quarterman served as pastor in Ocala, Florida in 1905. It was noted in the Ocala Banner (newspaper) that he was frequently called upon to occupy the bishop's chair in his absence, which speaks well of him." Learn more about Charles Milton

William Farrington Aldrich Jr. was the last Republican elected from Alabama until 1965. He served three terms in Congress (1896-1901) and owed much of his success in the heavily Democratic state to an uneasy alliance with Alabama Populists. Aside fro

Rev. Alex Gibson was pastor of the Waugh Methodist Episcopal Church on 3rd and A St. N.E. in 1895. Learn more about Charles Milton Bell's D.C. studio visitors @cmbellstudio #historicphotos #gildedage #ancestry #ame #BlackChurches

John H. Mitchell (OR-R) was a U.S. Senator serving on three occasions between 1873-1905. He is one of twelve U.S. Senators indicted while in office and one of five convicted. Personal intrigue seemed to follow him, and you can learn more at https://b

Miss Mattie Mitchell was the daughter of Oregon Senator John H. Mitchell. She would marry François XVI Alfred Gaston, 5th Duc de La Rochefoucauld. Her title would becoome The Duchesse de la Rochefoucauld. She died in Paris, February 21, 193

Representative George Paul Harrison of Alabama in 1894. He was a Democrat to the Fifty-third Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of William C. Oates, made famous as the Alabama confederate colonel who stormed Little Round Top at Ge

Learn more about Charles Milton Bell's D.C. studio visitors at cmbellstudio.com #historicphotos #gildedage #ancestry

Thomas Dawson (1857-1924) of Rockville, MD. was a lifelong Republican and one of the leading members of the bar of the western section of Maryland. He served as postmaster under the administration of President Harrison and was elected clerk of the Ci

A heritage surveyed

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Movements Gallery

"Experience is a keen teacher."

"We will be known forever by the tracks we leave."

“A sister is both your mirror—and your opposite.”

"Grace was in all her steps..."

"And their eyes were my eyes."

“A person's a person, no matter how small.”

"O Captain! my Captain!"

"In the name of God, Amen"

"Here, sir, the people govern."

“Sports serve society by providing vivid examples of excellence.”

"Let parents bequeath to their children not riches, but the spirit of reverence."

Cabinet Cards

"How a hat makes you feel is what a hat is all about."

"Our constitution is color-blind, and neither knows nor tolerates classes among citizens."

"Acting is happy agony. "

"It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken adults."

"Every puppy should have a boy"

"Pets are my favorite people."

"“There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.”

"Nature always wears the colors of the spirit."

"What is civilization? I answer, the power of good women."

"It is unbecoming for young men to utter maxims."

"Believe you can and you’re halfway there.”

"If my leg falls off, I'll get a prosthetic. There'd be no sadness about. I'd just get on with it"

"A young man is a theory..."

"The sages of old live again in us"

"There is nothing stronger than the heart of a volunteer."

“We face what you fear.”

"Youth comes but once in a lifetime."

Citations
“Every puppy should have a boy” - Erma Bombeck
“Grace was in all her steps…” - John Milton
”We will be known forever by the tracks we leave” - Dakota
”How a hat makes you feel is what a hat is all about.” - Philip Treacy
"It is unbecoming for young men to utter maxims." Aristotle
"Acting is happy agony. " Jean-Paul Sartre
”And their eyes were my eyes.” - Richard Llewellyn
“There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.” C.S. Lewis
“Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” - Theodore Roosevelt
"If my leg falls off, I'll get a prosthetic. There'd be no sadness about. I'd just get on with it" - John Lydon
“A young man is a theory,” - E.W. Howe
”in the name of God, Amen” - Mayflower Compact
”Let parents bequeath to their children not riches, but the spirit of reverence.” Plato
"Youth comes but once in a lifetime." - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
”Here, sir, the people govern." - Alexander Hamilton
”It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.” - Frederick Douglass
“A person's a person, no matter how small.” — Dr. Seuss
"There is nothing stronger than the heart of a volunteer." - Gen. James H. Doolittle
"Our constitution is color-blind, and neither knows nor tolerates classes among citizens." - Justice Harlan
”The sages of old live again in us” - Joseph Glanvill
"What is civilization? I answer, the power of good women." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
"O Captain! my Captain!" - Walt Whitman
“A sister is both your mirror—and your opposite.” - Elizabeth Fishel
”We face what you fear.” - Anonymous
"Nature always wears the colors of the spirit." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
”Experience is a keen teacher;“ - Fredrick Douglass