Skip to main content

Underwood & Underwood

 Organization

Dates

  • Existence: 1882 - 1941

administrative history

Underwood & Underwood was a stereograph and photography producer and distributor. The company was established in Ottawa, Kansas in 1882, moved to New York in 1887, and ceased operations in the 1940s.

Underwood & Underwood was established in 1882 by Elmer and Ben Underwood in Ottawa, Kansas. The company originally focused on distributing Eastern photographers' stereographs in the West through a network of door-to-door salesmen. In 1887 the headquarters of the company were moved to New York, though manufacturing continued to take place in Ottawa with the building of a plant in 1891 to manufacture stereographic cameras, stereoviews and stereoscopes. By 1901 Underwood & Underwood was a leader in stereographic image production and distribution. In 1920 the company divested itself of its stereograph productions, selling their stock and rights to the Keystone View Company. Underwood & Underwood ceased operations in the 1940s.

Citation:
Its Maps and plans accompanying Washington through the stereoscope, c1903-c1904: map recto (Underwood & Underwood, publishers, N.Y. & London)

Journal of Mormon History, Fall 1992: p. (est. 1882 by Elmer and Ben Underwood in Ottawa, Kan.; distributed Eastern photographers' stereographs to the Western market with door-to-door salesmen; est. plant in Ottawa by 1891 to manufature stereo photographic cameras, stereoviews and stereoscopes; moved their headquarters to New York City, opened branch offices in Baltimore, New York, and Liverpool; by 1901, Underwood & Underwood was manufacturing packaged sets of stereo views--25,000 a day (more than seven million a a year), and 300,000 stereoscopes a year)

Wikipedia, Mar. 9, 2012: Underwood & Underwood (early producer and distributor of stereoscopic and photographic images; early news bureau photography; company moved to New York, N.Y. in 1887; stereograph production stopped in 1920, stock and rights sold to Keystone View Company; ceased business in the 1940s)

Found in 1 Collection or Record:

Underwood & Underwood photographs of Mount Sinai

 Collection — Folder 1: [Barcode: 31197233608907]
Identifier: MSS P 461
Scope and Contents

Collection includes three photographs of Mount Sinai and manuscripts of biblical texts.

Dates: approximately 1880-1949

Filtered By

  • Subject: Manuscripts -- Photographs X