Bell's joint-stock organisation of his publishing company defied "the trade" — forty dominant publishing companies — to establish a monopoly on top publications. In addition to the extensive "Poets of Great Britain", he published book sets on "Shakespeare" and "The British Theatre". The drawings and illustrations in these works influenced later publishers. He also ran a circulating library. In 1788-1789, he operated a type foundry called the British Letter Foundry in collaboration with punchcutter Richard Austin. Revivals of these typefaces have been made under the name of Bell and Austin.