Underwood & Underwood Stereographs of Manufacturing Industries

Underwood & Underwood, a maker of stereoscopic images and equipment, was founded by brothers Bert Elias Underwood (1862-1943) and Elmer Underwood (1860-1947) in 1882 in Ottowa, Kansas. Initially, the company operated as a western distributor for stereographs produced in the eastern United States, but later contracted with freelance photographers to publish their own stereographs around 1891. As its business expanded, Underwood & Underwood relocated to Baltimore in 1888 and then New York City prior to 1900. In 1895, the company established an educational unit and introduced boxed sets organized around specific themes, such as education, religion, and travel. These sets, which the company actively marketed to schools for instructional purposes, coincided with a shift towards more experiential education and the popularity of the stereoscope and stereographs as a form of "edutainment" suitable for the entire family. Throughout the early 1900s, Underwood & Underwood, along with its chief competitor, Keystone View Company, dominated the stereoscopic market and produced as many as 40,000 stereographic titles. In 1921, Underwood & Underwood sold their stereoscopic business to Keystone View, opting to specialize in news, portraiture, and commercial photography. Following the Underwood brothers’ retirement in 1925, Underwood & Underwood ceased operations in the 1940s.