What the bell?

Explore the weird, the wonderful, and the whimsical at BellFest – from exclusive events and happenings, to behind-the-scenes access at some of the most fascinating historical sites in Washington, D.C.

Historic Whitechapel Bell Foundry Given Second Chance

News is rippling across London like the plangent reverberations of a well-tolled bell: It has been announced that the American property developers who purchased the...

"The Belfry of Bruges" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The medieval bell tower of Bruges, Belgium, is an imposing Brabantine Gothic structure that rises some 272 feet above the capital of West Flanders. For those intrepid...

Campanology Word of the Day: Clapper

A violin is a lovely instrument, but to hear its vibrating soul, it must be played with a rosined bow. A marimba, that most percussive of keyboards, cannot sound...

Meet St. Dunstan, Patron Saint of Bell Ringers

A thousand years ago, a man was so well regarded by his contemporaries in early medieval England that he became an important minister of state to several English...

Sailors Buffing Bells: How the U.S. Navy Cleans Their Bells

The U.S. Navy commands the seas far beyond America’s shores. Whether sailing in support of joint force operations, maintaining maritime security, or bolstering...

Pages

#BellFest