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Wilhelm Woellmer

Wilhelm Woellmer is a German type designer who ran a foundry which published typefaces such as Deutsche Reichsschrift (1910, a Fraktur digitally revived by Gerhard Helzel). The earliest publication is from 1886, and the latest one from 1933. The Wilhelm Woellmers Schriftgießerei in Berlin ceased operations in 1938. Most matrices are now in the possession of Typoart, formerly Schriftguss KG. Designers who published at Woellmer's foundry, which was located in Berlin, include:

• Wilhelm Woellmer: the Fraktur typeface Berliner Gotisch (1910) and the script typefaces Barberina (1925, advertised as Kartenschrift Barberina), Berolina (1930), Drescher Eilschrift (1934) and Attraktion (1925; Jaspert says 1930).
• Heinrich Wieynck: Mercedes Antiqua, Kursiv and Antiqua Halbfett in 1904, 1905 and 1906 respectively, as well as Woellmer Antiqua (1907), Woellmer Kursiv (1907) and Woellmer Antiqua Halbfett (1908).
• Lucian Zabel: the Fraktur typeface Zabel Roman (1928-1930), Fette Zabel Antiqua.
• Erich Meyer: Woellmer-Fraktur (1937).
• Konrad Jochheim: the Fraktur typeface Jochheim Deutsch (1933-1935).
• Martin Wilke: Ambassador.
• Arthur Pestner: Deutsche Reichs-Schrift (1915).

Berry, Johnson and Jaspert write about Kolonial: A heavy display roman, rather like CHELTENHAM. It is somewhat condensed and has short ascenders and descenders. Serifs are thick, blunt and horizontal (except on the d). The K has a very high waist, the middle strokes of the M descend only half-way, the R has a tapering tail. The ear of the g points north-east. The arches of the h, m and n are splayed. The italic has the serifs of the roman and some swash capitals. There are also a Shaded and an Extended face. Before World War II the type was also sold as Columbia by the Amsterdam Typefoundry, and is the Buffalo of the H.C. Hansen Foundry of Boston. It belongs with Morland (Blanchard of the Inland Type Foundry) to the group of heavy display types of which many American foundries had their own version. Its similarity with Cheltenham applies particularly to the original Cheltenham drawings.

Notes on revivals of selected typefaces:

• The art nouveau typeface Siegfried (ca. 1900) is also attributed to Woellmer. It was revived by Dieter Steffmann as Siegfried (2001) and by Ralph M. Unger as Siegfried Pro (2017).
• Schmale Fette Renaissance (1895) was revived in 2016 as Edna by Reymund Schroeder.
• Consul was revived by Stephan Müller and Reymund Schroeder.
• In 2004, Dan Solo published Marshall Normal, an art nouveau typeface that he attributes to Woellmer, ca. 1900.

The main specimen book of the foundry is Muster-Sammlung von Wilhelm Woellmer's Schriftgiesserei und Messinglinienfabrik (Berlin, 1896 or 1898).

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