George Mason University. Libraries. Special Collections Research Center
Underwood & Underwood World War I press photographs
Underwood & Underwood
C0502
/repositories/2/resources/640
0.5 Linear Feet
1 box, 101 photographs
1917-1918
Over one hundred photographs from the Underwood & 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.
R 72, C 3, S 5
English
Access Restrictions
There are no access restrictions.
Use Restrictions
Public Domain. There are no known restrictions.
Preferred Citation
Underwood & Underwood World War I press photographs, C0502, Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries.
Acquisition Information
Purchased from Caroliniana Rare Books by Lynn Eaton in June 2019.
Processing Information
Processing completed by Amanda Brent in June 2022. Finding aid completed by Amanda Brent in June 2022.
Historical Information
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.
Scope and Content
Content Warning: Some of the photographic descriptions include racist language.
Over one hundred photographs from the Underwood & 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 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.
Related Materials
The Special Collections Research Center holds other materials on World War I, including the .
Case Western Reserve University also holds taken by Underwood and Underwood.
A number of other archival repositories, including the , , and , hold collections of Underwood and Underwood photography.
Arrangement
This collection is arranged chronologically.
Alternative Form Available
This collected was digitized by Mieko Palazzo and is available to view here: .
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
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.
Bibliography
"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
Photography
World War, 1914-1918
"French cavalry on road flooded by the Germans to protect their retreat"/repositories/2/archival_objects/386967May 7, 191711King George V and General Sir Newton Moore watching the Australian artillery brigade march past/repositories/2/archival_objects/386968May 7, 191712French sappers, or civilian miners, at work underground/repositories/2/archival_objects/386969May 18, 191713"Artillery pieces marching by during the review and inspection by Col. Wolf"/repositories/2/archival_objects/386970August 9, 191714Gun explosion/repositories/2/archival_objects/386971August 31, 191715Russian women from the "Battalion of Death" recovering in a hospital/repositories/2/archival_objects/386972September 18, 191716Wounded Italian soldiers sitting on a road, waiting for medical attention/repositories/2/archival_objects/386973September 18, 191717French officers teaching American soldiers how to use gun grenades/repositories/2/archival_objects/386974October 22, 191718"Captain David Fallen of British army aids Liberty Loan"/repositories/2/archival_objects/386975October 22, 191719"U-BUY-A-BOND" event in Central Park, New York/repositories/2/archival_objects/386976October 23, 1917110British soldiers standing in front of a tank on an American tour/repositories/2/archival_objects/386977October 24, 1917111Soldiers ducking during a trench attack/repositories/2/archival_objects/386978October 24, 1917112British soldiers assessing damage to the Western Front/repositories/2/archival_objects/386979October 24, 1917113British soldiers standing in front of tank sent for Liberty Loan exhibition/repositories/2/archival_objects/386980October 29, 1917114Tank "Britannia" going up Fifth Avenue in New York City during the Liberty Loan Parade/repositories/2/archival_objects/386981October 25, 1917115American officer making appeals to recruits on top of a tank in Madison Square, New York/repositories/2/archival_objects/386982October 25, 1917116Kingdon Gould and Sergeant Hinkley at Camp Dix, New Jersey/repositories/2/archival_objects/386983October 29, 1917117American soldiers during bayonet practice on a dummy of Kaiser Wilhelm/repositories/2/archival_objects/386984October 30, 1917118Soldiers holding onto a kite balloon/repositories/2/archival_objects/386985October 31, 1917119"Great captive dirigibles used by French for observation"/repositories/2/archival_objects/386986October 31, 1917120Volunteer Ambulance Division - two women drivers named Hilda S. Ambler and Phyllis K. Martin/repositories/2/archival_objects/386987November 1, 1917121British Naval Air Force kite balloons/repositories/2/archival_objects/386988November 1, 1917122View of Camp Kearney barracks in San Diego County, California/repositories/2/archival_objects/386989November 1, 1917123American soldiers in France using "liquid fire apparatus"/repositories/2/archival_objects/386990November 12, 1917124"German prisoners captured by British pass through wrecked Ypres"/repositories/2/archival_objects/386991November 18, 1917125Indian soldiers training with bayonets in France/repositories/2/archival_objects/386992November 19, 1917126American soldiers fencing on horseback/repositories/2/archival_objects/386993November 19, 1917127View of No man's land/repositories/2/archival_objects/386994November 20, 1917128Lieutenant C.F. Parks modeling the new American trench helmet/repositories/2/archival_objects/386995November 20, 1917129Doctor helping wounded soldier write a letter after the Battle of Menin Road Ridge/repositories/2/archival_objects/386996November 21, 1917130Transport ship Medie sinking in the Mediterranean [partially sunk]/repositories/2/archival_objects/386997November 21, 1917131Transport ship Medie sinking in the Mediterranean [fully sunk]/repositories/2/archival_objects/386998November 21, 1917132Transport ship Medie sinking in the Mediterranean [partially sunk]/repositories/2/archival_objects/386999November 21, 1917133View from British warship on rough seas/repositories/2/archival_objects/387000November 21, 1917134"Sixteenth Annual Championship Cat Show opens"/repositories/2/archival_objects/387001November 21, 1917135Italian outposts along the Brenta River/repositories/2/archival_objects/387002January 9, 1918136Soldiers helping a fellow wounded soldier cross a duckboard track/repositories/2/archival_objects/387003January 15, 1918137General Allenby reading proclamation at the Tower of David in Jerusalem, Israel/repositories/2/archival_objects/387004January 18, 1918138Portuguese soldiers stoking mortar gun/repositories/2/archival_objects/387005February 3, 1918139"General Pershing meets King Albert of the Belgians"/repositories/2/archival_objects/387006February 5, 1918140Older and younger marines doing the manual of arms/repositories/2/archival_objects/387007February 5, 1918141British soldiers climbing out of a trench for a daylight patrol/repositories/2/archival_objects/387008February 6, 1918142British soldiers eating food in a trench/repositories/2/archival_objects/387009February 6, 1918143"Italian hydroaeroplane held by crane prior to flight over enemy territory"/repositories/2/archival_objects/387010February 8, 1918144Swimmers Ruth and Eleanor Smith/repositories/2/archival_objects/387011February 8, 1918145Dogfight between French and German planes/repositories/2/archival_objects/387012February 12, 1918146Pilots testing a plane before a flight/repositories/2/archival_objects/387013February 13, 1918147Downed plane, known as a "Grass Cutter," in France/repositories/2/archival_objects/387014February 12, 1918148Portrait of swimmer Ellsworth Elderkin/repositories/2/archival_objects/387015February 12, 1918149American soldiers throwing trench bombs and grenades/repositories/2/archival_objects/387016February 12, 1918150British soldier on the front line in Flanders, Belgium during winter/repositories/2/archival_objects/387017February 13, 1918151British soldiers on the front line signalling artillery to start/repositories/2/archival_objects/387018February 13, 1918152Disabled tank being used as observation post/repositories/2/archival_objects/387019February 13, 1918153Crashed German plane on the Flanders front/repositories/2/archival_objects/387020February 13, 1918154French shepherd with their dog and sheep/repositories/2/archival_objects/387021February 14, 1918155Soldier standing in a charred French forest/repositories/2/archival_objects/387022February 14, 1918156"Most advanced French line on the Belgian front"/repositories/2/archival_objects/387023February 15, 1918157"ANZACs [Australian and New Zealand Army Corps] capture Boche anti-tank gun"/repositories/2/archival_objects/387024February 15, 1918158British soldiers bringing food to the front line/repositories/2/archival_objects/387025February 15, 1918159British soldiers on the Western Front waiting for coffee/repositories/2/archival_objects/387026February 15, 2018160British and Italian soldiers preparing for a football (soccer) game/repositories/2/archival_objects/387027February 15, 1918161British soldiers in a trench/repositories/2/archival_objects/387028February 15, 1918162Scope and ContentsA derogatory term against Germans is used in the official description of this photograph.
British soldier putting up barbed wire entanglements/repositories/2/archival_objects/387029February 15, 1918163American soldier standing next to Senegalese troopers/repositories/2/archival_objects/387030February 16, 1918164British soldiers marching Iraqi prisoners of war through Baghdad/repositories/2/archival_objects/387031February 17, 1918165Scope and ContentsContent Warning: Offensive language towards Middle Eastern people.
"British prisoners of war have papers examined by German officers in Holland"/repositories/2/archival_objects/387032February 18, 1918166Vietnamese soldiers fighting for France training for combat/repositories/2/archival_objects/387033February 18, 1918167Scope and ContentsContent warning: The provided description of this photograph includes a racial slur. Please contact SCRC if you wish to access the full description.
Y.M.C.A. workers distributing letters to soldiers/repositories/2/archival_objects/387034February 18, 1918168The christening party of the American steam fishing ship "Kingfisher"/repositories/2/archival_objects/387035February 18, 1918169"Heavy British gun in action on open Mesopotamia desert"/repositories/2/archival_objects/387036February 20, 1918170British soldiers handling an 18-pounder field gun in the Mesopotamian Desert/repositories/2/archival_objects/387037February 20, 1918171Three photographs of actor Douglas Fairbanks touring the Grand Canyon and visiting a Native American family/repositories/2/archival_objects/387038February 20, 1918172Scope and ContentContent warning: The provided description of this photograph includes a racial slur. Please contact SCRC if you wish to access the full description.
"Telephone girl" M.E. Clarke working a telephone exchange/repositories/2/archival_objects/387039February 21, 1918173"French Military Police in Salonika [Thessaloniki, Greece] on review before General Fourasse"/repositories/2/archival_objects/387040February 21, 1918174Royal Flying Corps pilot preparing for a bombing flight/repositories/2/archival_objects/387041February 25, 1918175Soldiers from the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma at Camp Travis, Texas/repositories/2/archival_objects/387042February 26, 1918176Scope and ContentContent warning: The provided description of this photograph includes racially insensitive language towards Native Americans. Please contact SCRC if you wish to access the full description.
Soldiers learning to man a U.S. Navy dirigible/repositories/2/archival_objects/387043February 26, 1918177Tank driving through barbed wire/repositories/2/archival_objects/387044February 26, 1918178"Tanks mow down barbed wire entanglements"/repositories/2/archival_objects/387045February 26, 1918179Post-air raid damage to Paris buildings/repositories/2/archival_objects/387046February 26, 1918180British soldiers bunking in an overturned concrete tank/repositories/2/archival_objects/387047February 26, 1918181British soldiers making camp in an overturned concrete tank/repositories/2/archival_objects/387048February 26, 1918182Baseball players "Nig" Clarke and Jack Miller at the Marine Corps' Recruiting Depot at Paris Island, South Carolina/repositories/2/archival_objects/387049February 28, 1918183British soldiers camp out in an overturned concrete tank/repositories/2/archival_objects/387050February 28, 1918184"German aviatik in raid over Paris downed by French"/repositories/2/archival_objects/387051February 28, 1918185Red Cross workers in the home of John D. Rockefeller/repositories/2/archival_objects/387052March 1, 1918186"Cavalry goes into action on the Western Front"/repositories/2/archival_objects/387053March 1, 1918187Balloon being prepared to be sent over enemy lines with a message from President Woodrow Wilson/repositories/2/archival_objects/387054March 4, 1918188American soldiers, also called the "Rainbow Division," marching in France/repositories/2/archival_objects/387055March 4, 1918189Concert for American soldiers/repositories/2/archival_objects/387056March 5, 1918190"British scout plane ready for a flight before dusk"/repositories/2/archival_objects/387057March 5, 1918191British officer on a submarine affixing a message to a carrier pigeon/repositories/2/archival_objects/387058March 5, 1918192"First photo of General Guillaumat, new commander of allied forces on Eastern Front reviewing Greek troops"/repositories/2/archival_objects/387059March 6, 1918193"Italian troopers strengthening the wire entanglements in front of the trenches on the Piave River"/repositories/2/archival_objects/387060March 6, 1918194French marine guns and gunners/repositories/2/archival_objects/387061March 6, 1918195British officer on submarine releasing a carrier pigeon/repositories/2/archival_objects/387062May 3, 1918196Men putting fuses on Stokes' mortar shells/repositories/2/archival_objects/387063August 1, 1918197British soldiers sitting in building wreckage on the Western Front/repositories/2/archival_objects/3870641918198Italian infantry "Florence" resting after an attack/repositories/2/archival_objects/387065circa 1918199