John T. Underwood- The Underwood Typewriter
I chose the Underwood typewriter because it is such a crucial piece in the evolution of broadcast journalism since 1874.
The true story is that the typewriter was invented by German-American Franz Xaver Wagner, who showed it to entrepreneur John Thomas Underwood. It wasn’t 1890 that Underwood bought the company. Underwood always recognized importance of the machine and the man who invented it and on the first two typewriters Underwood #1 and #2s, made between 1896 and 1900, had “Wagner Typewriter Co.” printed on the back. In hindsight Wagner over-committed himself financially and didn’t have any other choice, but to turn his masterpiece to Underwoods hands.
John Thomas Underwood was born on April 12, 1857 in London, England and died July 2, 1937 in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. His house was considered a mansion, which sat on Clinton Hill. It was later donated by Underwood’s Wife and daughters to the Borough of Brooklyn as a public park. It will always be remembered in his honor.
Underwood’s family life included of his two sisters Hannah and Helen and his brother Rev. Dr. Horace . Their father, Thomas Underwood, operated an ink business in England and then moved to New Jersey. That is where John met the typewriter inventor Wagner, bought the business from him, and founded the Underwood Typewriter Company, which was founded in 1874. They company first produced ink writing from a factory in a barn in New Durham. This company later added carbon paper and typewriter ribbon to its products. Underwood set the office up in Manhattan and moved to Brooklyn where married and had two daughters. He was always supportive of his brother who happened to be one of the early missionaries to Korea in 1887. John was also active at his church.
That was a little background on Underwood now back to the importance of the Underwood Typewriter and his company. The Underwood #5 launched in 1900 and it was described as the first truly modern typewriter. The result was a design that would define what almost every typewriter would look like for the next six decades. Underwood’s company was the biggest manufacturer in the world. The #5 outsold all other competitors combined for the first two decades of the 20th century. Underwoods company was so successful that its headquarters factory in Hartford, Connecticut could make a typewriter in one minute. The Underwood Typewriter Company continued to invent the newest and brightest typewriters. Typewriter #5 was even used in Spain.
In 1927, Underwood merged with Elliot-Fischer to consolidate market share, with the goal of ensuring dominance. But the decline had begun. The other challenge came in the form of a minor distraction known as World War II. During the war, Underwood cranked out carbines for the troops and less typewriters.
At the end of WWII, Underwood struggled to regain dominance of his company all in all the technology of the typewriter was almost half a century old all the company knew was how to build and sell. There was no “next big thing” to open up new markets.
Eventually, Underwood was defeated by the new company Olivetti in 1959 and the Underwood name last appeared on a portable Olivetti built in Spain in the 1980s. John Underwood retired in 1928, after 33 years of direct involvement in the typewriter business, but continued as a director of Underwood Elliott Fisher until his death on July 2, 1937 at aged 80.
Underwood continued making its own typewriters until Olivetti Company bought a controlling interest and began a new set plan and design for the future of typewriters and other electronics.
The Underwood Typewriter Company and their creations of the typewriter will always be remembered as the best of its time and will always be a crucial piece in Broadcast Journalism.
