​​In Photos: A Typical Sunday Bell-Ringing

Every Sunday at 1 p.m., the Lowell House bell tower erupts in cacophony, as the Lowell House Society of Russian Bell-Ringers plays a series of traditional peals, contemporary melodies, and original improvisational pieces on the set of 17 Russian Orthodox bells that are audible across campus. Although understanding the history and methodology behind Harvard’s bell-ringing tradition helps illuminate this niche art form, the bells are also physically beautiful as pieces of art themselves. This photo essay illuminates the appearance and arrangement of the bells up close, giving a glimpse of what goes on in the bell tower during a typical Sunday ringing.

By Courtesy of Stella A. Gilbert

The Lowell bell tower consists of a main lower platform, as well as an upper platform called a belfry. Ringers on the belfry play the melody and chime bells, while the lower platform serves as an access point to the large “Mother Earth” bell, the stomper bells, and a viewing area to watch the ringers play.

By Courtesy of Stella A. Gilbert

Often, a ringer stands in the southeast corner of the lower platform at the only point within sight of all ringers on the belfry, stomper area, and Mother Earth section of the tower. This ringer conducts the others and signals when to start and stop a peal.

Ringer Playing Melody -

Melody Bell -

Mother Earth Upper Engravings -

Mother Earth Lower Engravings -

Mother Earth Clapper -

In the downtime between peals, ringers often hang onto, or even climb, some of the metal fixtures littered throughout the tower.

By Courtesy of Stella A. Gilbert

This year, ringers even chained a pull-up bar to one of the ladders in the lower platform beside Mother Earth.

By Courtesy of Stella A. Gilbert

All Sunday ringings conclude the same way. One ringer plays three final tolls of Mother Earth and then brings the 800-pound clapper to a stop. Then the rest of the ringers place their hands or forehead on the edge of the bell, sharing the vibration of Mother Earth as it fades to stillness, silent until the following Sunday.

By Courtesy of Stella A. Gilbert

Stella A. Gilbert is a Harvard College junior concentrating in Sociology and Economics. Her column “For Whom The Bell Tolls” explores the tradition and experience of bell-ringing at Harvard and around the world through personal reflections, interviews, and photography. She can be reached at stella.gilbert@thecrimson.com.