Corbitt was designed by Nicholas J. Werner and issued as a metal typeface by the Inland Foundry in 1900. It was initially issued in standard and condensed sizes. According to Mac McGrew’s book on Metal Typefaces, Corbitt typeface is characterized by a blend of thick and thin strokes with very small serifs. It served as a transition from the ornate typefaces of the gilded age to the more modern type of the early 20th century.

In a few years Corbitt had been copied in wood-type, and appeared in the 1906 Hamilton specimen book under the slightly modified name of Corbett. It was also manufactured as wood-type by at least two other companies: Empire and Tubbs. Our sample “TRAVEL” is a 6 line version by Tubbs.