The image above is Gertrude Mercer Hubbard Grossman, Roberta Wolcott Hubbard Bell, and Mabel Hubbard Bell as girls
Roberta Wolcott Hubbard was born in 1859 to Gardiner Greene Hubbard and Gertrude Mercer McCurdy. She was the youngest of three daughters, and had a close relationship with her sisters Mabel and Grace.
Roberta’s father was a prominent lawyer, financier, and philanthropist who played a key role in the development of the telephone industry. He was also the first president of the National Geographic Society, which he co-founded with his son-in-law Charles J. Bell and others in 1888.
Roberta’s eldest sister Mabel married Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone, in 1877. Roberta attended their wedding at her father’s estate in Cambridge, Massachusetts, along with her sister Grace and other relatives and friends.
Roberta followed her sister’s footsteps and married Charles J. Bell, a first cousin of Alexander Graham Bell, in 1881. Charles was an Irish-born Canadian and American businessman who became secretary of the new Bell Telephone Company and later president of several other companies. He was also a trustee of the American University and an incorporator of the American Red Cross.
Roberta and Charles had two daughters: Helen Aidene Bell (born in 1882) and Grace Hubbard Bell (born in 1884). They lived in Washington, D.C., where they were active members of the social and cultural circles. Roberta was known for her beauty, intelligence, and charm. She enjoyed music, art, literature, and travel. She also supported various charitable causes and educational institutions.
Sadly, Roberta’s life was cut short by illness. She died on July 4th, 1885 at the age of 26 at her father’s summer home near Washington D.C.. Her funeral was held on July 7th at Dulaney Cottage on Tennallytown Road (now Wisconsin Avenue). She was buried at Oak Hill Cemetery alongside her parents and sister Mabel.
Roberta (Hubbard) Bell was a remarkable woman who left behind a loving family and a lasting legacy. She was not only a cousin but also a friend to Alexander Graham Bell, who admired her for her “sweetness” and “gentleness”. He wrote to his wife Mabel after Roberta’s death: “I feel as if I had lost one very dear to me – one whom I have always loved – one who has always been kind to me.”
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