Just got a copy of Bell of Africa that was John Jobson's copy that he has added notes and even corrected one part (Bells death year). The book has a photograph (not part of the printed book)that I am wondering may be a picture of WDM Bell (looks close to Christopher Plummer). Has anyone seen an actual picture of Bell that I could compare?

I was all smug and thought I'd run to my shelf and get one for you as I was positive I had one in one of my books but alas none to be found.

Google was no help either. Good luck!

I have a 1st edition.I just pulled it off the shelf;no pictures of Bell. Good luck on your endeavor. Best wishes. R.

There is a poor photo of a man said to be Bell sitting on a downed elephant on the africahunting.com site.

The same image along with a guy I could not identify were among the photos that came up when I Googled his name. Problem is, the photos Google showed included one of J.A. Hunter.

As with Baxter, I also thought I could find a photo of Bell quickly in my library. I couldn't.

Bill Quimby

OK, maybe success!

Does this look like the pic?

If you can scan it I can host it if you don't have a place to upload it to.

Good find, Baxter. Where was it?

Bill Quimby

TO be honest I'm not 100% sure what site it was as I tried searching about 20 different ways and ended up somewhere that showed one of Bell's rifles and I kept clicking into the site and there was a this pic and the caption 'pic of Bell'. It didn;t come up on Google, it was after I found something interesting and kept clicking links. I grabbed it in the hopes of zooming it up but it's a very small pic.

Hopefully it matches the pic in question and I suppose we'll call it good. When I saw the pic there was a flash of recognition so I hope this is it. I still have to find where I saw the other pic that was in my memory...hmmmm

In the meantime I did find some pics of Finch-Hatton, Blixen and Hunter I had never seen as well.

The pic I have is of him at an older age. When I get back I'll scan and post

I'm away from library but seems like there is a pic in Bartle Bull's book.

quote:

I'm away from library but seems like there is a pic in Bartle Bull's book.

I thought there was too and was the first place I looked...to no avail... I remember, somewhere, seeing a pic of him, older, maybe after he retired back to Scotland or something. As I recall he was sitting in a chair. I cannot remember where I saw that or maybe who I am confusing him with.

Amazing pics of him are so rare when his name is ubiquitous with African hunting. Hell, he lived into the 1950's!

I did not find that pic in Bartle Bulls book "Safari". As to your reference of 'someone in a chair'...sounds like Selous......I might also add that during his safari that some boy had to carry that chair.

I'm away from home right now, but am nearly 100% certain that there is a B&W pic of Bell in Capstick's African Adventurer's book. It shows him in his later years on his estate in Scotland.

quote:

It shows him in his later years on his estate in Scotland.

Already looked there...and I think you have seen the same pic as I also think the pic I have seen is from when he was older and in Scotland.

Found this on p 122 of Elephants, Ivory, and Hunters by Tony Sanchez-Arino, Safari Press, 1st ed. 2002.


Still not sure where the other image I'm thinking of him is. Recall a photo of George Rushby with a tiny dog, etc on neighboring page. Pretty sure it was in a PHC book, but I seem to have mostly lent those out.

Here are a few more items of peripheral interest...


A link to Corriemoillie, Bell's estate

and to his yacht, Trenchemer

That's beautiful music Bill! Nice find!! That is a book I do not have.

You may be thinking of Jim Sutherland and his dog Whisky in the PHC book. I do not believe PHC mentions Rushby in any book. I think there is a pic of JH Patterson that looks sorta-kinda like this one of Bell that I think is in the PHC book.

Again, nice one!

quote:

Originally posted by BaxterB:
You may be thinking of Jim Sutherland and his dog Whisky in the PHC book.

Hi Baxter--of course you're right, I was thinking of Sutherland. Was he pictured in a boater's hat? It was captioned to the tune of "still showing his powerful boxing physique." In any event there were a few pages of pics of some of the old greats along with the one of Bell at Corriemoillie.

This is going to bug me!

Here is a better picture of the small one above. It is from his flying certificate.

Cool pic Baxter.

I don't have a very big collection of books and am pretty sure that pic we've been discussing is in one of the PHC books I've lent out. Hopefully these 2 shots have helped the OP answer his ?. For one it was cool to dig a little and see that his old estate is being kept up and available to rent!

Have just gone through the PHC books and the only Bell pic is the one Bell drew himself of the rear brain shot. I do not have the book White Hunters by Herne (but am trying to find a good copy); perhaps there is a pic in that book. I think Herne talks about Bell at least some.

The search continues...

Just got my latest copy of SCI Safari magazine and they have an article on Bell. lo and behold there is a copy of the picture at the end of the story. I'm glad I have an actual photograph of Bell.

Thank you.

quote:

I remember, somewhere, seeing a pic of him, older, maybe after he retired back to Scotland or something. As I recall he was sitting in a chair.

Well, I knew my memory was right...Here is the pic I was seeing in my head. I do not know where I originally saw it because it has been many many years since then, but I just saw it again on the American Rifleman site in reference to the Bell/Ruark 275 Rigby.

Here he is as an older fellow: