Robert Bell

Robert Bell (1732–1784) was a Scottish immigrant to the British colonies in America and became one of many early American printers and publishers active during the years leading up to and through the American Revolution. Bell became widely noted for printing Thomas Paine's celebrated work, Common Sense, a highly influential work during the revolution that openly criticized the British Parliament and their management and taxation of the British-American colonies. Bell and Paine later had a falling out over profits and publication issues. As a dedicated patriot, Bell printed many pamphlets and books before and during the revolution, many of which "glowingly" expressed his patriotic views. He also reprinted a number of popular English works, presenting them to the colonies for the first time. He ran an auction house which sold rare books in Lancaster, and in later life he toured the colonies selling off his massive book collection. After Bell's death, his printing press and other items were sold at a Philadelphia auction house to another prominent printer at an unusually high price.

Early life and family Robert Bell was born in Glasgow, Scotland, and was of the Quaker persuasion. Growing up in Scotland he was taught the book-binding trade. He traveled to Berwick-upon-Tweed, and continued in that trade for sometime. From there he moved to Dublin and became a bookseller, which at first seemed promising but after a few years the enterprise failed. He married in Dublin, and was for some time the partner of George Alexander Stevens, an English playwright and poet. Bell emigrated to the British colonies in 1767, and established himself as an auctioneer of books, where he soon became a full time bookseller in Philadelphia. In 1769, or early in 1770, Bell established a printing press and shop in Philadelphia in a building which previously housed the Union Library, located next door to Saint Paul's Church, on Third street. He soon became known as an auctioneer of books, once referring to himself on record, 7 February 1774, as a "Professor of Book Auctioneering."

Bell was the first to present a number of popular English works from a wide selection in every class of literature current in England in simple affordable printing and binding. His successful practice of offering inexpensive editions soon compelled other printers to offer publications where the common citizen could thereby obtain works of literature they would otherwise be unable to afford. Bell biographer David Landis maintained in his 1908 essay that such a sales practice put Bell as a publisher way ahead of his time. He also published Sterne's Sentimental Journey, Robertson's History of Scotland in three volumes, Leland's History of Ireland in four volumes, Robinson Crusoe, Paradise Lost, along with, plays, poems, and novels innumerable. Bell worked with the public in an effort to collect rags used in the production of paper. Along with other printers, Bell printed advertisements in various Pennsylvania newspapers for the call and collection of rags used in paper manufacturing, along with essays on paper making and the materials used for its production. This was yet another effort that would bring the colonies together in a common cause.

American Revolution era Title page of Thomas Paine's Common Sense, with "Printed, and Sold, by R. Bell" inscribed at bottom In the years leading up to and through the American Revolution, Bell printed many pamphlets and books which ardently expressed his patriotic ideas and sentiments. As a printer in Philadelphia (Philadelphia at this time was the leader in colonial politics as it concerned revolutionary thought, a booming mercantile city, and was at the center of colonial resistance to British rule over the colonies in the 1770s.) as it advocated American independence, now ripe in the minds of colonists, and openly criticized the British Crown and Parliamentary rule over the colonies. Paine originally had intended for his work to be printed in the various colonial newspapers in a series of articles, but they were concerned that British colonial authorities very likely would threaten or confiscate their printing operations. On the recommendation of Benjamin Rush, who thought highly of Bell, referring to him as the "Republican printer", and thought him courageous enough to print what became a politically volatile work, Paine complied and turned over his manuscript to Bell. Paine made an agreement with him that if the publication should prove to be an unprofitable venture that he would cover any losses he incurred. To further make the prospect attractive, Paine agreed to give Bell half of any profits realized. The other half Paine intended to purchase wool mittens for the troops going to Quebec, giving a written order on Bell to two officers of the Continental Army. Bell at once set to printing the work with great enthusiasm, feeling just as strongly about the idea of independence as Paine. Bell set the price of the pamphlet at two shillings per copy. For fear of recrimination, Paine had the first edition of Common Sense published anonymously. At the time of its printing there was a serious paper shortage in the colonies, compounded by the revolution. Bell placed an advertisement in the 10 January 1776, issue of William Bradford's newspaper, The Pennsylvania Journal, following with one in The Pennsylvania Evening Post on 27 January, owned by Benjamin Towne. Common Sense was favorably received throughout the colonies and sold very quickly.

The Military Guide for Young officers, printed by Robert Bell, J. Humphreys, 1776 (this copy signed by John Adams) Bell and Paine fell into disagreement about payment and publishing terms over Common Sense which began three weeks after the first advertisement of Paine's work appeared in the Pennsylvania Journal. Bell had claimed that he had not made any profit printing and publishing Common Sense and proceeded to publish an unauthorized edition. The disagreement grew into a controversy between the two which was covered in the local newspapers. Bell's second advertisement in the Evening Post included an attack on Paine's work, while Paine was still an anonymous figure. Paine responded by taking his business to Bell's competitor, the Bradford brothers, William and Thomas, who printed a third edition that included Paine's name on the cover, with a note appended declaring that Bell's second edition was unauthorized. The third edition became the standard text which became widely known to this day. It also contained an appendix, in which Paine included an “Epistle to the Quakers”. During the course of the sordid affair the attacks on the work and each other's character continued, mostly by Bell.

In 1776, Bell, James Humphreys and Robert Aitken together reprinted and published The Military Guide for Young Officers, a military, historical, and definitive dictionary which included passages from essays on the recruiting, arming, supplying, training and discipline of British infantry and cavalry.

Later life After the Revolutionary War Bell became an acclaimed book auctioneer whose name was recognized from Virginia to New Hampshire. As an auctioneer he sold most of his books, which he referred to as his "jewels and diamonds", in New York, Boston, Baltimore, Norfolk, among other towns. While on a book-selling trip to Richmond, Virginia, Bell became ill and died there on 16 or 23 September 1784; the accounts vary on the exact date.

Shortly after Bell's death, the contents of his shop, which included a printing press, office furniture, tools and books, were put up for auction. His books and other items sold for a few dollars, while the bidding for his printing press started with Mathew Carey for the modest amount of ten dollars. After fierce back and forth bidding between Carey and Colonel Eleazer Oswald, the editor of the Independent Gazette, Bell's press was finally awarded to Carey for one hundred and fifty dollars, the average price for a new press.