Underwood

Underwood was one of the most prolific typewriter manufacturers in history. The first Underwood Standard Typewriter was produced in 1895. Designed by Franz X. Wagner, this standard frontstroke machine was generally considered the first modern typewriter and catapulted the company to success, with 5 million built between 1900 and 1930. The company was eventually bought by Olivetti in 1963, with the name remaining in use with Olivetti portables until around the mid-1970s.

Underwood had factories in New York.

History

The Underwood Typewriter Corporation was founded in 1895, when ink magnate John Thomas Underwood purchased the rights to manufacture a four-bank frontstriking typewriter, jointly designed by Franz X. Wagner and Franz's son Herman.

Standards

Name	Date Range	Description and Rarity	-
Underwood 1 , Underwood 2	1895-1900	The first Underwood standards had metal paper scales and a more primitive bail roller system, and their frontstroke design made them the first "modern" typewriter. These machines are quite rare, and often command high prices; however, given that they look very similar to later Underwood standards, they may often be overlooked.
Underwoods nos. 3, 4, 5	1895-1933	The Underwoods 3, 4, and 5 were variations on a highly successful theme. Differences from the 1 and 2 included a redesigned shift system and more keys, and a different ribbon color selection system. Their abundance makes them less valuable; however, they tend to type well and are excellent beginners' machines due to their attractive design and ease of repair. The 3 is wide-carriage; the 4 types 78 characters and the 5 types 84.
Underwood 6	Far too long	Just no.	A modernization of the traditional Underwood 5, with a new ribbon-bichrome mechanism seen on late U5s as well as a redesigned tab system. Some feature decimal tabs. Disclaimer: one of our editors hates it; it's not that bad.
Underwood Master	1937- 1940	The Underwood Master was the successor to the 6. A distinctive trait was the "door" implemented on the front of the machine to access the typebars for cleaning. A comparatively uncommon Underwood, but still a very common machine. Tends to type well.
Underwood S, SS, SX, FIVE	1941 - 1968	These grey and boring standards are hard to tell apart, generally worth little, and generally write well. Many were used in the US government and its branches. The S is the earliest and is carriage-shifted; the SS is basket-shifted, and the SX is a '50s redesign that often features plastic keys. The Underwood Five [stylized "underwood FIVE"] is a plastic-shelled version of the SS or SX.
Underwood Fanfold Machines	1931 - 1942	Has a long extension behind the typewriter to create fanfold duplicated documents. Very rare.
Underwood Noiseless 6	1929 - 193X	Built by Remington for Underwood, this machine is an exact clone of the Remington Noiseless Standard no. 6. Not particularly rare.
Underwood Noiseless 10	193X - 194X	Built by Remington for Underwood, this machine is an exact clone of the Remington Noiseless Standard no. 10. Not particularly rare.	Example
Underwood Raphael	196X	Underwood's attempt at a proportional-spacing standard, the Raphael is a rare machine. However, it is also an electric standard and thus generally undesirable.	Example
Underwood Forum	196X	IDK Man.	Example
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Portables

Name	Date Range	Description and Rarity	Image and notes
Underwood Standard Portable Keyboard - 3-Bank	1919-1929	Underwood's first portable machine, the Underwood 3-bank is a small typewriter featuring 3 rows of keys- hence its name. Sometime around 1922, the machine underwent a redesign making its segment slightly narrower. They are generally popular machines for their portability and decent typing ability.	A later 3-Bank, featuring a narrower segment.
Underwood Standard Portable Keyboard - 4-Bank (B)	1925-1932	Underwood's answer to the Remington Portable and Royal Portable machines -- which had 4 rows of keys -- was the Underwood 4-Bank portable. The fundamental design of this machine would last until the 1950s. The B model was the earliest iteration, and came in 3 variations. Early examples, from the first and second years of production, are particularly coveted for being featured in popular anime Violet Evergarden.	Example
Underwood Standard Portable Keyboard - 4-Bank (C, D, E)	1926-1935	The Underwood 4-Bank underwent a series of minor redesigns in this period. The models C through E are all very similar, featuring slanted fronts and	Example
Underwood Universal	1935-1948	The Underwood Universal was Underwood's primary consumer-grade typewriter from 1935 to 1948, and underwent two redesigns during this period. Early examples are glossy black and appear similar to the Portable 4-Bank but have "Champion" keytops. Later 1930s examples are glossy black with a lid-style ribbon cover, whereas 1940s and postwar examples are crinkle grey.	Example
Underwood Champion	1935-1948	Similar to the Universal, but with a tabulator.	Example
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