Norddeutscher Lloyd was a German shipping company founded by Hermann Henrich Meier and Eduard Crüsemann in Bremen in 1857. It developed into one of the most important German shipping companies of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Part of its fleet, the SS Columbus made its maiden voyage from Bremen to New York in 1923 and  also sailed to Southampton, England, and Cherbourg, France.

This delicate and lovely menu cover showing two brightly colored humming birds and the branches of a cherry blossom tree is from a 1927 voyage. As you will see from the food on offer, this was a luxury liner and passengers were served a feast every evening.

The ship was commandeered during WWII and was scuttled and set on fire by her German crew off Cape May, New Jersey, in December 1939, to avoid capture by the British.