Stereographs and News Photography

Stereograph publishers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries at first tended to produce images for “armchair travelers,” who could experience far-flung areas of the world in three dimensions through the stereoscope, the precursor of modern-day “virtual reality” systems. However, many other themes and subjects were explored for the burgeoning stereo market. A major publisher such as Underwood and Underwood produced pictures ranging from American industry and technology to staged “genre” scenes and sequences of sentimental, humorous, and entertainment value, in addition to their standard “educational” documentation of natural, architectural, and historical wonders of the world.

Underwood and Underwood also realized that there was a market for stereographs of current events and news in stereoscopic form, and embarked upon photojournalistic coverage of the Spanish-American War and other military conflicts. However, by 1921 they discontinued their stereo production, sold most of their stereo archive to a competitor, the Keystone View Co., and concentrated on news photography. The National Museum of American History Archives Center’s Underwood and Underwood Glass Stereograph Collection contains some non-stereoscopic news photographs from the 1920s, plus the stereoscopic negatives and interpositives which the company withheld from Keystone, intending to convert them into non-stereo usage.

President Theodore Roosevelt was a favorite subject for Underwood & Underwood and other stereo publishers’ photographers, and the collection contains many portraits of him. The company’s coverage of him extended into the newsworthy events, such as in this high-angle photograph of his 1905 inaugural address and the crowd. Here C.W. White, a photographer for the publisher H.C. White, photographed the festivities, and the glass plate was later acquired by Underwood and Underwood.

Great crowds of people around the Inaugural Stand--Pres. Roosevelt delivering his address. [Active no. 9916 : stereo interpositive,] 1905. Underwood & Underwood Glass Stereograph Collection, Archives Center, NMAH.

Notice the cancellation marks on the left image of the stereo pair. Apparently these scratches in the emulsion were intended to prevent Underwood and Underwood from continuing to use the glass plate for producing stereographs, thereby competing with Keystone in this market. Many, although not all, of the stereo glass plates in this collection, were similarly defaced.

A less well-known political figure appears below. He is Fitzhugh Lee, a Confederate cavalry general during the Civil War, who later became the fortieth governor of Virginia, a diplomat, and eventually a U.S. Army major general in Cuba during the Spanish-American War. He was the grandson of “Light Horse Harry” Lee and the nephew of Gen. Robert E. Lee. He was the former Consul General in Havana in 1898 when this portrait of the portly, magnificently mustachioed Lee was taken by a photographer for another stereo publisher, Strohmeyer and Wyman; the negative was acquired later by Underwood and Underwood. One half of the stereo pair is shown here, the other side having been cut and possibly discarded. Lee was appointed military governor of Havana and Pinar del Rio in 1899, and died in 1905, several months after Roosevelt’s inauguration.

Major General Fitzhugh Lee, Ex-Consul General at Havana. Copyright 1898 by Strohmeyer and Wyman. Active no. 21200 : non-stereo photonegative,] 1898. Underwood and Underwood Glass Stereograph Collection, Archives Center, NMAH.

New high-resolution scans for these two images and hundreds of others are available, although the majority of the collection is represented only by low-resolution surrogates. Since the original photographs in the Underwood and Underwood—primarily glass plates—are currently stored offsite, there are challenges in accessing the collection.

David Haberstich, Curator of Photography
Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Presidents in Flight

George, Tom, Abe, Teddy, Bill, and Herbie--the "Racing Presidents" for the hometown Washington Nationals baseball team feature large-headed versions of past Commanders-in-Chief. Can you imagine what these presidents could accomplish as the "Flying Presidents"? The National Air and Space Museum Archives' collections feature documents and images of the United States presidents, as they relate to aviation and space flight, going back to the first man to hold the office.

1 - George Washington

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In 1784, Dr. John Foulke thought it must be nice to have Washington on his side, so he invited the General to a lecture on ballooning in Philadelphia. In a letter held by the Archives, Washington sent his regrets.  Washington’s response reads: “Genl. Washington presents his compliments to Doctr. Foulke — thanks him for his polite card and ticket — and would with great pleasure attend his Lecture on Pneumatics, but the business which brought him to the city does not leave him at Liberty, as the Members of the Cincinnati are anxious to bring it to a close Monday Morning.”

Later, as President, Washington not only viewed but also assisted with the first American ascent of the famous French balloonist Jean-Pierre Blanchard on January 9, 1793 in Philadelphia.

16 - Abraham Lincoln

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The Archives holds a letter written by President Abraham Lincoln to Lt. General Winfield Scott, commander of Union forces, regarding a proposal to use Thaddeus S. C.Lowe's balloons for observation of enemy positions during the Civil War.  Lincoln writes: "Will Lieut. Gen. Scott please see Professor Lowe once more about his balloon? [signed] A. Lincoln. July 25, 1861."

26 - Theodore Roosevelt

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Theodore Roosevelt (left) was the first American president to fly in an airplane.  On October 11, 1910, the former president was at Kinloch Field, St. Louis, Missouri, campaigning for the state’s Republican party. Pilot Arch Hoxsey (right) asked him to fly in his Wright (Co) Type AB.  At first Roosevelt refused, but eventually accepted the flight, during which Hoxsey put the aircraft into three steep dives.

27 - William Howard Taft

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William Howard Taft (center) attended the July 1909 trials of what would be known as the Wright Military Flyer at Ft. Myer, Virginia.  He was accompanied in his car by Senator Jonathan Bourne Jr. (R-OR) and military aide Archie Butt (right), who would later die on the Titanic.

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President Taft (center) also met with the Wright brothers--Wilbur (left of center) and Orville Wright (right of center)--at the White House.  Sister Katharine Wright was to the right of Wilbur.

28 - Woodrow Wilson

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President Woodrow Wilson (left) presided over the opening ceremonies for the first regularly scheduled air mail service.  On May 15, 1918, he met with Major Reuben Fleet (right), who had organized and assembled the pilots and aircrafts for this service.

30 - Calvin Coolidge

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President Calvin Coolidge welcomed the crew members of the Douglas World Cruiser first flight around the world upon their arrival in Washington on September 9, 1924.  The crew successfully circumnavigated the globe in 175 days.  (left to right): Lt. Leslie Arnold; Lt. Lowell Smith; President Calvin Coolidge; Secretary of War John Wingate Weeks; Lt. John Harding; Lt. Odgen and Lt. Leigh Wade posed standing in front of the Douglas World Cruiser DWC-2 Chicago.

The Chicago is now on display at the National Air and Space Museum and Arnold’s diary and scrapbook are in the Archives collections.

31 - Herbert Hoover

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On April 22, 1931, President Herbert Hoover presented the 1930 Collier Trophy to HaroldPitcairn and associates for the development and application of the autogiro while standing on the lawn of the White House. Though not visible in the photograph, President Herbert Hoover, his wife, and grandchildren then witnessed the Pitcairn PCA-2 Autogiro taking off from the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC.

34 - Dwight D. Eisenhower

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President Dwight D. Eisenhower shown with scale model of Jupiter C Missile nose cone during speech given from the White House, November 7, 1957.

36 - Lyndon B. Johnson

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President Lyndon B. Johnson in a discussion with Air Force Colonel Daniel "Chappie”James.  In 1975, James became the first African-American to achieve the rank of four-star general.

37 - Richard M. Nixon

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President Richard M. Nixon greets Apollo 11 flight crew members Neil A. Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Edwin E. "Buzz" Aldrin, Jr., inside the Mobile Quarantine Facility (MQF), July 24, 1969.

38 - Gerald R. Ford

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President Gerald R. Ford and NASM Director Michael Collins attend the ribbon cutting ceremony for the opening of National Air and Space Museum (NASM) building in Washington DC, on July 1, 1976.

41 - George H.W. Bush

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In 1941, George H.W. Bush became the youngest aviator in the US Navy at the time.  He is pictured in the cockpit of his General Motors (Eastern) TBM Avenger during World War II.

Elizabeth C. Borja - Reference and Outreach Coordinator
National Air and Space Museum Archives