Bell and Howell Holdings Co. - 1995 dated Specimen Stock Certificate

Specimen Stock printed by American Bank Note Company. Bell and Howell is a United States brand of cameras, lenses, and motion picture machinery. It was originally founded as a company in 1907, and headquartered in Wheeling, Illinois. The company was acquired by Böwe Systec in 2003. Since 2010, the brand name has been licensed for a variety consumer electronics products.

According to its charter, the Bell & Howell Company was incorporated on February 17, 1907. It was 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. (10:00 CT). The first board of directors was chosen for a term of one year: Donald Joseph Bell (1869–1934), chairman; Albert Summers Howell (1879–1951), secretary; and Marguerite V. Bell (wife of Donald Bell), vice chairman.

The firm made products for the motion picture industry. The Bell & Howell 2709 was the first all metal, commercially available motion picture camera.  The 2709 was so expensive that only Charlie Chaplin and three other people owned one, while the rest were owned by studios. Read more at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_%26_Howell