A captivating vintage photography exhibition at the Ulster Museum offers a snapshot of rural Irish life in bygone years – a time when donkeys were the main mode of transport, turf was the fuel of choice, and Irish was the language of the land.
Image from the archive of photographs taken by four the four Bell brothers – Nelson Victor, James Kennedy, Herbert and Benjamin Jonathan – currently on display at the Ulster Museum
The images taken by the four Bell brothers – Nelson Victor (b. 1897), James Kennedy (b.1900), Herbert (b.1904)and Benjamin Jonathan (b.1907) from Glenavy – have been collated in the Bell Archive Exhibition, co-curated by Frankie Quinn and the Belfast Archive Project, with support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
James Kennedy Bell
It is the final instalment in a trilogy of exhibitions celebrating Northern Ireland’s photographic heritage.
Nelson Victor Bell
Frankie Quinn said: “The four brothers were close and shared many interests – photography, science, art, antiques, ornithology and boats.
“Their mother had died when they were all quite young, in 1917, and their father not much longer afterwards in 1925.”
Herbert Bell
The Bell family were linen merchants, although they also had a farm in Glenavy. Their father had worked as a linen merchant but following his death the business closed down, possibly as a result of the Wall Street crash.
Benjamin Jonathan Bell
“The brothers started a new business with an external partner, called Richard Nelson & Co. Ltd., and this was much more successful,” said Frankie.
“It produced items for the English, Scottish, and Australian tourist trades and supplied shops such as Harrods, Selfridge’s, and Robinson Cleaver. Whilst principally based in Belfast, the company also operated out of Ennis, Co Clare. It operated for a number of years, and one of its last successful lines was a George Best tea towel.”
The brothers travelled extensively in the west of Ireland from the 1930s to the 1950s, often by caravan. They took a large number of photographs on their holidays.
Gathering turf near Mount Errigal, Co Donegal. An image from the archive of photographs taken by the four Bell brothers, Nelson Victor, James Kennedy, Herbert and Jonathan Benjamin.
The photographs in the exhibition —many believed to be taken by James Kennedy Bell in 1950, during a trip along the west coast of Ireland —offer a rich, nostalgic glimpse into rural Irish life, with scenes captured during family expeditions by caravan.
“James Kennedy Bell trained at the Belfast YMCA Photography Club, under Hugh Edgar, probably in the 1930s,” said Frankie.
“He used top of the range equipment (such as the Rolleicord and the Leica M3) and described himself as a commercial photographer. He worked semi-professionally and sold some of his work to be used as postcards.
An image from the Bell Archive exhibition at the Ulster Museum
“It is also possible that he did some work for the Northern Ireland Tourist Board. James Kennedy Bell died at the age of 55, from leukaemia.”
James’ brothers were also very interested in photography, and so some of this work may have been taken by them.
“Nelson was a keen photographer of birds and also loved using cine film,” said Frankie.
“Benjamin chose to focus on documenting the family, particularly on holidays…. Following the Second World War the brothers purchased properties in Ballintoy and Cushendun, where they holidayed.”
An image from the archive of photographs taken by four the four Bell brothers from Co Antrim, currently on display at the Ulster Museum
Alongside the photographs the Bells also donated a handwritten journal, 80 pages long. It recounts a two-week trip to Connemara in May 1950 taken by James, Nelson and a woman referred to only as ‘A’.
An image from the archive of photographs taken by the four Bell brothers
“They travelled by car – a 1938 Wolsey – with a caravan,” said Frankie. “In the journal James refers to his ill health; his inability to walk far, and the possibility that this trip may be a last opportunity. He died of leukaemia only a few years after taking this trip.”
1938 Wolsley and caravan on the road
Recognise any of the locations or landmarks in the photos? Get in touch at curatorial@nationalmuseumsni.org and help with their research.
The Bell Archive Exhibition runs in the Ulster Museum until November 30, 2025.