Underwood
From Typewriter Wiki
Underwood was one of the most prolific typewriter manufacturers in history. Based out of New York City, 1895 saw the production of the first Underwood Standard Typewriter. 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.
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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. |
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| 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) | 1926-1932 | 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 |
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