January 13, 2023by Aaron Newcomer4 CommentsAmmunition

From Paris to Buenos Aires: The Hardware Trading Company of François and Jean Dellazoppa

Dellazoppa Delivery Vehicle

Dellazoppa Frères was a hardware trading company that was founded in Paris, France in 1871 by François and Jean Dellazoppa. The company operated in Paris, Buenos Aires, and Brussels during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and produced a range of hardware and related products including metallic ammunition such as pinfire cartridges.

Newspaper clipping from Le Droit, published on July 9, 1871.
Newspaper clipping from Le Droit, published on July 9, 1871.

Dellazoppa Frères was founded in Paris, France(1) in 1871 by François and Jean Dellazoppa. According to an excerpt from the French newspaper, Le Droit, the company was established as a “Société en nom collectif” (general partnership) for the purpose of buying and selling hardware, with a duration of six years and six months. The company was headquartered in Paris at the home of the brothers, located at 49 Rue de Paradis-Poissonnière. They also notated that they had a sales counter in Buenos Aires. The capital of the company was 400,000 francs, with 360,000 francs contributed by François Dellazoppa and 40,000 francs contributed by Jean Dellazoppa. The company’s business name was “Dellazoppa frères,” and the signature for the Paris branch was held by François Dellazoppa, while the signature for the Buenos Aires branch was held by Jean Dellazoppa.

In the early 1880s, Juan (Jean) Dellazoppa established(2) a partnership called Dellazoppa y Compañía at 263 Piedad Street in Buenos Aires. This partnership, which operated as an importer and hardware store, was owned by Juan Dellazoppa, who lived in Paris, and Alberto Bodmer, who lived at 668 Venezuela Street in Buenos Aires, as well as E. Trabucati, who ran the well-known Trabucati y Compañía in Montevideo, Uruguay. This partnership traded under the Trabucati name rather than Dellazoppa in Uruguay.

It is unclear exactly how this partnership was structured, but it is likely related to the hardware trading business that Juan Dellazoppa and his brother François had co-founded in Paris in 1871. According to one source, Francisco (François) Dellazoppa retired(3) around this time, but the Parisian company continued to operate under the name Dellazoppa Frères (brothers) for decades after this.

Letter from Dellazoppa Frères to Sabatier Frères of Thiers, France, dated 1896, inquiring about an order of cutlery. From the author's collection.
Letter from Dellazoppa Frères to Sabatier Frères of Thiers, France, dated 1896, inquiring about an order of cutlery. From the author’s collection.

Throughout their history, Dellazoppa acquired numerous patents and trademarks for a wide range of products that they imported and sold. One of the company’s most well-known trademarks was the AU CRODODILE brand, which protected the use of the brand on hundreds of products ranging from razors and candy to animal blankets, cosmetics, purses, and ammunition, among others.

AU CRODODILE mark
AU CRODODILE mark(4)
AU CRODODILE mark on Shotshell. From the Collection of Fede G.
AU CRODODILE mark on Shotshell. From the Collection of Fede G.(4)
AU CRODODILE mark on Shotshell. From the Collection of Fede G.
AU CRODODILE mark on Shotshell. From the Collection of Fede G.(4)

By at least 1895(5), Dellazoppa Frères had also established a subsidiary in Brussels, Belgium called Compagnie Dellazoppa Ltd. At this location, they registered the LA MULITA (Armadillo) brand, which was used on a variety of products including shotshells and ammunition.

Stationary from Compagnie Dellazoppa Ltd. From the author's collection.
Stationary from Compagnie Dellazoppa Ltd. From the author’s collection.

In addition to other products, Dellazoppa Frères also had pinfire cartridges manufactured for them. The following images show examples of 12mm and 9mm pinfire cartridges from my collection that are marked with the DELLAZOPPA headstamp. These cartridges are rare finds in South America and are likely from the earliest years of the company’s operation.

Despite facing various challenges and changes over the years, Dellazoppa remained a prominent and successful hardware trading company throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. In the 1920s, the company formed a corporation called Dellazoppa S.A.C.(6) and registered a trademark for their brand “D F B” (Dellazoppa Frères Buenos Aires). During this time, they also entered into a partnership with Gustav Genschow & Cie, a German manufacturer of ammunition, to produce a line of metallic cartridges. The company continued to thrive and expand its operations until its eventual dissolution in 1966(4). Overall, the legacy of Dellazoppa Frères is one of innovation, adaptation, and lasting success in the competitive world of hardware trading and beyond.

Citations and Further Research

  1. Le Droit. (9 July 1871). Etude de M. GAYARD, huissier. Page 4.
  2. Kunz, H. (1886). Gran gui a de la ciudad de Buenos Aires. Buenos Aires: Kunz & cia.
  3. The American Exporter. (1927). The American Exporter, 100, 55.
  4. Fede. (n.d.). Au Crocodile shotshells [Forum post]. International Ammunition Association. Retrieved from https://forum.cartridgecollectors.org/t/au-crocodile-shotshells/30844/5
  5. Walter, J. (2012). German Tool and Blade Makers. East Essex: Nevill Publishing.
  6. Veritas, 16(187), 1946.