Determination of the stress distributions associated with composite shell bearings under static and dynamic loading conditions is discussed briefly. Experimental work recently started at The City University, using the three-dimensional ‘frozen stress’ photoelastic technique, is described. Preliminary static loading tests have been carried out over a range of low temperatures, prior to stress freezing, on a simple bearing and shaft assembly made in Araldite. One successful stress freezing cycle has been completed and the pressure distribution at the point of stress freezing is shown compared with low temperature distributions for a constant duty parameter. It is anticipated that, at the time of presentation of this report, the stress distribution at the lubrication surface, as determined by analysis, may be shown compared with the recorded pressure distribution.