Harley's dog Champ looking for Harley while
Harley was stationed in Korea.

Evelyn Bell (Harley's mom) with Champ outside the
14th street shop after having new siding installed
circa late 50s

Some Thirty-nine years ago Harley Bell moved the company to its
current location on 11th street in Los Angeles.

The tradition of casting type, monotype composition, spacing
materials, rules, borders and Ludlow typesetting continues for the
Hot Foil Embossing Stamping and letterpress arts.

Please call or email us with any questions:

presently casting (71+ fonts). Virtually all fonts, dingbats, borders
and ornaments we have cast in the past are available so please call
for more information.

The Bell Type and Rule Company has been
family owned and operated since 1932. The
monotype on the left is still in operation today
making hand set, type fonts daily.

The company's found a home in Long Beach,
CA in the basement of a building where the
Bell's rented an apartment. During that time
the only means of picking up metal was to use
the family car. 'We would use wood planks and
by hand run the barrel up the planks and tie it
to the trunk of the 36 Desoto Coup. Then tie it
again to the bumper. And you guessed it down
went the back of the car. Imagine the weight of
a trash can mostly filled with old type weighs in
around 1200 pounds.

On 14th street in Los Angeles the Bells, lived above the shop. Above photo is
Harley standing in front of the shop on 14th street.

The type foundry in the basement

Snow falls in 1956 at 14th street

Carl Bell in 1947 in 29 Palms

Evelyn Bell and "the boys" at the 11th street shop

69th street in Los Angeles was the next stop for
Bell Type & Rule Company. Below is an original of
Carl Bell's business card

note there was only six numbers in the phone number

14th street

Here you can see Harley as a boy in front of the shop. The building was
constructed in the 1890s. The company remained on 14th street till
the city decided to redevelop the area and was forced to move.

88 Years
Bell Type & Rule Co.

Printers Metal Type
1932 - 2020

Type Leads and Slugs     Spaces      Ludlow Typesetting      Monotype Composition     for:
Letterpress       Letterpress Printing     Letterpress Invitations
Foil Stamping       Book Binding   Imprinting    Hot foil stamping    Imprinting Scrap Books
Imprinted Ribbon     Letterpress Cards      Leather Embossing