Columbus is a swash grotesque designed in-house at Schelter & Giesecke and first cast in 1890. A lighter weight named Washington followed in 1894 [Seemann]. The latter 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).