Jackson-Bell started in 1926 but ceased in 1935 - is what we know on models - but the financial end was 1933. Today it is well known by collectors because of the models called "Peter Pan", "Tulip", "Sunrise" and "Swan" etc. To our knowledge Jackson-Bell was a marketing company and the maker was Gilfillan Brothers Radio Works, Los Angeles.

Jackson-Bell (J-B) began offering superhets in 1931 and 1932 but continued to invest heavily in TRF parts. In late 1932, too much money had been spent on unusable parts and the company went bankrupt. By 1933, Herb Bell had formed Packard-Bell.

There is only little information on Elmer William Zwebell (Zwiebel). He was the brother of Herbert, Arthur, Albert, and Willard Zwiebel. Herbert, Albert and Willard changed their name to Bell after moving from Wisconsin to California.

They were the sons of Anton Zwiebel Jr., who lived in Burlington and Milwaukee before moving to Los Angeles. Elmer was married to Caroline DePaules Graham (married 5 Mar 1932).

Apparently Elmer was the Cabinet maker for the radio company owned by his brother Herbert. Elmer's other brothers, Willard and Albert worked for the company as did their father Anton. At some point Elmer left the company, and around 1952, retired from selling building material and trailer homes in the Newport area of LA.

Herbert and Albert started working in Radio Electronics around 1928 in their fathers garage. They had formed a company which did not survive, however, around 1929, Herbert would form a partnership with Mr.Jackson, naming the company Jackson-Bell Corp., making radios.



In 1933 Herb.Bell formed a partnership to establish Packard-Bell, also making radios.
Obviously Herberts other brothers worked for the company. The company became involved with Military Electronics, and did very well through WWII. Sometime after the war, Herberts brothers left the company. Herbert continued to run the company, and took it public in the 1950's and remained it's president until 1956, them became chairman of the Board of Directors.

Herbert and his brothers were the sons of Anton Zwiebel Jr. Their grandfather, Anton Sr., emigrated from St. Jean-Saverne, Alsace France at the age of 16. He became a very successful business person, owning machine shops and auto garages in Burlington. Wisconsin. Anton also was an inventor, and had received four or five patents during his life.
His brother, Michael Zwiebel is the Great great grandfather of Lew Zwiebel, who provided most of all that information. Thanks!

When Jackson-Bell went into receivership in spring/summer 1933, an order by the referee caused the name J-B not to be used for a silver mirror model being made formerly for J-B, and then continued by that (yet unknown) manufacturer even during (and perhaps after) the J-B receivership. We can assume that after the receivership was closed, the name J-B was free and was revived for use in 1936 for a few radio models by that background maker.