Underwood and Underwood World War I press photographs
George Mason University. Libraries. Special Collections Research Center
Fenwick Library, MS2FL 4400 University Dr. Fairfax, Virginia 22030 Business Number: 703-993-2220 Fax Number: 703-993-8911 speccoll@gmu.edu URL: https://scrc.gmu.edu
Amanda Brent
Repository
George Mason University. Libraries. Special Collections Research Center
Identification
C0502
Title
Underwood and Underwood World War I press photographs 1917-1918
Quantity
0.5 Linear Feet, 1 box, 101 photographs
Creator
Underwood and Underwood
Location
R 72, C 3, S 5
Language
English
.
Abstract
Over one hundred photographs from the Underwood and Underwood photography agency of scenes from World War I in Europe, Asia,
the Middle East, and the United States, taken from 1917 - 1918. The majority of the photographs depict soldiers of various
nationalities during and training for combat, as well as the war effort and civilian life in the United States.
Underwood and Underwood (also written as Underwood & Underwood) was a large American photography agency founded by brothers
Elmer and Bert Underwood in 1882. Originally based in Ottawa, Kansas, they relocated the business first to Baltimore, Maryland,
and eventually to New York City, New York in 1891. Known for their massively popular stereograph photography, the company
eventually took up photojournalism and entertainment photography to great success.
World War I, or the Great War as it was known at the time, was an international conflict that lasted from 1914 - 1918. The
war affected nearly all European countries, as well as the United States and many others across the globe. According to Encyclopaedia
Britannica, "[t]he war was virtually unprecedented in the slaughter, carnage, and destruction it caused." At its essence a
conflict between the "Allies" (France, Great Britain, Russia, Italy, Japan, and the United States) and the "Central Powers"
(Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Turkey), World War I ended on November 11, 1918 when the armistice between Germany and the
Allies took place. Over 40 million people died as casualties of the war.
Over one hundred photographs from the Underwood and Underwood photography agency of scenes from World War I in Europe, the
United States, Asia, and the Middle East. All photographs were taken between 1917 - 1918. The majority of the photographs
depict soldiers of various nationalities during and training for combat. Other photographs depict the the war effort and recruitment
of soldiers. Notably, there are a few photographs of soldiers of color, including Seminole soldiers training under the United
States army and Indian soldiers training under Great Britain. A handful of photographs depict civilian life in the United
States during the time period.
The photographs in this collection are attached to small paper descriptions with adhesive. These paper descriptions are brittle
and acidic, and are folded from the verso of the photograph to the recto.
"Biographical/Historical[.]" Underwood & Underwood Glass Stereograph Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American
History. https://sova.si.edu/record/NMAH.AC.0143.
Royde-Smith, J. Graham and Showalter, Dennis E. "World War I." Encyclopedia Britannica, accessed May 27, 2022. https://www.britannica.com/event/World-War-I.
"Underwood and Underwood[.]" Broadway Photographs, accessed May 27, 2022. https://broadway.cas.sc.edu/content/underwood-and-underwood
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