Willis Andrew Shell, Jr., was born in Lenoir, North Carolina on 1 Jun 1905 to Willis Andrew Shell and Bertha Weathersbee Shell, who was a noted Tidewater artist from Norfolk, VA. He was a student at the University of Richmond in 1926, though it is not clear if he graduated. In 1938, Willis A. Shell married Eleanor Roberts, with whom he would start the Attic Press from their home at 311 W. Franklin St. in Richmond, VA. While it is unclear how he managed to get his 2000-pound 1840 Washington hand press, a Christmas present from his wife, into the attic of his home, it stayed there until they moved in 1958 to 2113 Hanover Ave. in Richmond VA.  Besides co-owning and operating the Attic Press with Eleanor, Willis A. Shell also worked at the William Byrd Press from 1933-1971. He started at the William Byrd Press in February of 1933 as a salesman and then as a book designer, working there until he retired in September 1971 as the Vice President in charge of sales for Richmond, VA. Eleanor graduated from Parsons School of Design and worked as an illustrator for the , where she developed a regular art feature for the Sunday from 1935-1950.

His first handmade book was . Willis and Eleanor worked together and separately on projects. For example, for the book , published in 1977, Willis printed the book, and Eleanor provided the illustrations. A printing proof from this book is included in the collection. There are booklets and pamphlets from the Attic Press and the William Byrd Press included within this collection and over thirty other books and pamphlets from other publishers. In addition, this collection contains copies of the obituaries of Willis and Eleanor Shell, memories of Willis and Eleanor Shell written by her niece, Margaret Roberts Thomas, and ephemera, booklets, and pamphlets relating to Willis A. Shell and his publishing companies. Due to the quality of his work, Willis A. Shell quickly became a respected printer and illustrator. In 1952 he produced three of the five entries from Richmond, VA for a 1952 Southeastern Library Association competition. These five entries were part of the total of 16 volumes designated as the best in Southern book production. Another interesting proof in this collection is a book created in nine days for Colonial Williamsburg. The combination of Eleanor's reputation as an illustrator and Willis' unique book design and printing led to the commission from Colonial Williamsburg to produce a book about Williamsburg crafts to present to Queen Elizabeth during her 1954 visit. One book he designed while at William Byrd Press was David John Mays' , which won a Pulitzer Prize. Shell was also a charter member of the Bibliographic Society of the University of Virginia. He also served as chairman of the Special Collections Committee at the Richmond Public Library and was a member of the Rotunda Club, the Advertising Federation of America, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, and the Virginia Historical Society. Eleanor was a member of the Woman's Club, the Friends of Richmond Public Library, the Virginia Bibliographical Society, and the Associates of the James Branch Cabell Library.

Due to their ties to the print and illustration community, the Shell collection also holds a variety of materials created by friends, including Christmas cards from both David Clinger and Warren Chappell, both noted figures in their own fields and donors to the Galvin Rare Book Room collections. The Shell's Christmas cards, like many other ones in the collection, were completely handmade; each year, they would design, print, and illustrate each card. After a noted and remarkable life, Eleanor Shell passed away February 26, 1974, and Willis A. Shell, Jr. passed away on March 14, 1989.