Böwe Bell & Howell

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Abraham Zapruder's Bell & Howell Zoomatic movie camera, in the collection of the US National Archives

According to its charter, Bell & Howell Company was incorporated February 17, 1907. It was duly recorded in the Cook County Record Book eight days later. The first meeting of stockholders took place in the office of Attorney W. G. Strong on February 19 at 10 a. m. The first board of directors was chosen for a term of one year: Donald J. Bell, chairman; Albert Summers Howell, secretary; and Marguerite V. Bell (wife of Donald Bell), vice chairman.

Founded by two projectionists to manufacture motion picture equipment, the firm is currently headquartered in Wheeling, Illinois, the Bell & Howell Company merged with Böwe Systec Inc in 2003 to become Böwe Bell & Howell. Currently, the company provides document processing, microfilmers, scanners, and financial services.

The trademark is also licenced to makers of various electronic consumer products.

1 History
2 Consumer products
3 Apple II
4 See also
5 External links
6 References

[edit] History

Historically, Bell & Howell was an important supplier of many different media technologies. The firm added Microfilm products in 1946. Technologies such as film projectors, film cameras, overhead projectors, scanning equipment as well as other major appliances;

The firm built its name making products such as

a rotary framer on 35mm film projectors
35mm film perforators
35mm Professional Cameras
Printing Equipment used by Motion Picture Film Laboratories
News Cameras such as the Eyemo and Filmo
8mm/Super 8 film projectors (All Models)
16mm Silent and Filmosound Projectors (All Models)
Overhead Presentation Projectors (All Models)

Bell & Howell has been the leading supplier of media equipment for schools and offices.

The firm dropped the production of Movie cameras in the early 1970s. The film laboratory line is now a separate company, BHP Inc, which is a division of Research Technology International.

[edit] Consumer products

Currently, third-party companies offer a number of consumer products licensed under the Bell & Howell name including:

Digital Camera (Optical Zoom, Digital Zoom, and Flip Out LCD models)
Sunlight Floor Lamp
Sunlight Desk Lamp
Ionic Whisper Air Purifier and Ionize
Alarm System
Sonic Earz
Bio7 Pain Therapist
Solar Powered Flood Lights
Noise Reduction Headphones
ZX-7 Shaver
"and more!"

The licensing of their name in the consumer products area is clearly a "cash-grab" by the company, as even their Licensing Page indicates that "The Bell & Howell brand name boasts a strong presence in the minds of consumers with over 80 percent brand awareness among adults 35 and older. People associate Bell & Howell with a strong reputation for high quality, dependable products and services."

In fact, the majority of the Bell + Howell consumer products that are for sale "on TV" are distributed by Emson USA - a "TV-only" sales organization not unlike Guthy-Renker or K-Tel. This most likely won't affect Bell + Howell's core business in the future, as the products/software/services they produce and distribute themselves are focused on the Business-to-Business market, as opposed to the Consumer market.