Columbus is a swash grotesque designed in-house at Schelter & Giesecke and first cast in 1890. A lighter weight named Washington (shown) followed in 1894 [Seemann]. Apparently derived from their Breite halbfette and Breite magere Grotesk, respectively. Washington is depicted in Petzendorfer’s Schriftenatlas from 1903–1905, with alternates for ‘e’ and ‘g’. Also available in wood as Navarra [Plakatschriften J.G. Schelter & Giesecke].

Woellmer had the similar Washington-Grotesk (derived from their Breite halbfette Grotesk). See also Chicago-Grotesk (Numrich), Verzierte Grotesk (Bauer, derived from Normal-Grotesk), and Botha (Genzsch & Heyse, 1899, derived from Blockschrift).

Not to be confused with Central Type’s Washington (aka Columbia by Haas).