Underwood Typewriter Company

Made what is considered the first successful modern typewriter, producing five million machines by the start of the Second World War in 1939. Their headquarters were in New York City.
The company started life in 1874 making carbon paper and typewriter ribbons and they were one of many firms that supplied Remington. When Remington decided to produce their own typewriter ribbons, Underwood decided to start making typewriters.

Their first machine was invented by Franz Xaver Wagner and it impressed John Thomas Underwood who bought the company. The Underwood No. 1 and No. 2 machines were made between 1896 and 1900 and had ‘Wagner Typewriter Co’ printed on their backs. The No. 5 was launched in 1900 and was hailed as the first truly modern typewriter.

By the 1920s over two million had been sold, more than all the other typewriter manufacturers put together. Their factory in Hartford Connecticut turned out a typewriter a minute. They promoted themselves with a giant typewriter on display at Garden Pier in Atlantic City which became a tourist attraction attracting large crowds.

In 1910 Underwood started adding addition and subtraction devices to their machines.

In 1927 they merged with Elliott-Fischer Co to become Underwood-Elliot-Fischer Co. In 1959 Olivetti bought a controlling interest and the also went into the calculator business.