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📄 DESCRIPTION
Original Underwood & Underwood Commercial Department Photograph Archive
Approximately 114+ Original Photographs – Early 20th Century (c. 1910s–1920s)
Offered is a rare and substantial archive of original commercial photographs produced by Underwood & Underwood (New York), one of the most important photographic studios of the early 20th century.
This collection originates from the company’s Commercial Department, representing staged, industrial, and advertising photography created for corporate and promotional use rather than press distribution.
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📚 CONTENT & SUBJECT MATTER
The archive includes a wide range of subjects, including:
* Commercial advertising displays and staged retail scenes
* Industrial and manufacturing environments
* Early transportation (railroad, trucks, infrastructure)
* Urban city scenes and large crowd views
* Product and catalog-style photography
* Office and workplace interiors
* Patriotic and World War I era themes
These photographs reflect early American visual marketing, industrial development, and urban life in the 1910s–1920s.
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🏷️ MARKINGS & AUTHENTICITY
* Each photograph bears an original “Underwood & Underwood – New York – Commercial Department” stamp on the verso
* Many prints include archival reference numbers (e.g., CA series with letter suffixes) indicating internal cataloging and sequencing
* Several photographs appear as part of numbered or related series (sets), suggesting multi-image commercial assignments or staged sequences
* All items are original vintage prints, not reproductions
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📏 PHYSICAL DETAILS
* Medium: Original silver gelatin photographs
* Period: Approx. 1910s–1920s
* Size: Approximately 10 x 7.5 inches each
* Mounting: Photographs are mounted on fabric-backed material
* Quantity: Approximately 114 photographs (count is approximate; total may be slightly higher)
Please note: The photographs were counted manually and are offered as a complete archive; exact count is not guaranteed but is believed to be around 114 or more.
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⚠️ CONDITION
Overall condition is consistent with age and archival storage.
* Some photographs show edge wear, corner wear, creasing, or surface marks
* Occasional handling wear, light staining, or minor tears may be present
* Fabric backing may show age-related wear or minor imperfections
* Condition varies across the archive from very good to moderate vintage wear
No modern prints — all photographs are original period material.
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🧠 SIGNIFICANCE
This is not a group of common press photographs.
This archive represents early commercial photography in America, created for corporate clients and internal use, and rarely surviving in cohesive groups of this size.
The presence of related image series within the archive further enhances its value, indicating structured commercial production rather than isolated images.
Collections of this scale and consistency from the Underwood & Underwood Commercial Department are uncommon on the open market.
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📦 SALE TERMS
* Sold strictly as a complete archive (no separation)
* Ideal for collectors, dealers, institutions, or research archives
* Significant value for study of advertising, industrial history, and early photography
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📸 ADDITIONAL NOTES
Please review all photographs carefully, as they form part of the description.
Additional images can be provided upon request.
