Some of the most beautiful work of this craftsman, and many others, are in this book “Liège Gunmakers through their Work. 1800 - 1950”.
For more detail see: LIEGE GUNMAKERS
Scholberg History
The
Scholberg & Gadet Company of Liege, Belgium (which manufactured this pistol) was
owned by Alexander Gadet during the years of 1882 until his death in 1894.
During this time the Brazilian Partnership was named Scholberg, Joucla & Silva
(as on the barrels). The partners in Brazil along with Scholberg were:
Leopoldo Joucla, also Vice-Consul of France in Brazil and an importer of wine,
and a Mr. Silva of whom we have no information. But we do know that upon
Alexander Gadet's death in 1894 Silva withdraws from the Brazilian company and
it is renamed Scholberg & Joucla. Therefore this pistol was manufactured
sometime in the period between 1882 and 1894."
I just
found a Brazilian source of some information on the history of the Scholberg
Companies in Brazil in the19th century. I am sending here an outline of what I
found. The most interesting discovery is an association between the Laport
Company and the Scholberg Company. How long that lasted what were the
relationships in Belgium between these two businesses and manufacturing houses
are not totally clear, but perhaps what I am sending here will help one of your
experts to put together a few more pieces in this interesting jigsaw puzzle.
Here are
my notes, as well as a few questions that I put in brackets after each section
where questions are raised for me. I have not quoted directly from the
Brazilian source because it was a translation that was sometimes unclear.
Association between the Laport Companies and the Scholberg Companies of Belgium,
such relationship forming partnerships in Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina
In 1850 the Laport Company (Alexandre Laport, Veuve
Laport & Co.?) signs a contract with the Belgian Company, Scholberg & Cie to
represent it in South America.
The
Laport Company’s offices were located at Rua Andrade Neves 148 in Pelotas,
Brazil, and the Scholberg Company was located at Roger Aveniéres No. 6, Liege,
Belgium.
(Which
Laport company was operating in 1850?)
The
Scholberg Company specialized in the trade and export of cutlery, weapons and
ammunition as well as items of general merchandise and hardware. It seems that
the Scholberg Company formed a partnership with the Laport Company for the
export and merchandising of its products in Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina.
There are
several names associated with the Belgian/Brazilian partnership:
1)
Alexander “Widow” Laporte This person dies in 1882 and Scholberg & Cie becomes
Scholberg & Gadet.
(is this
an Alexander who is a widower or Alexander’s widow?)
2)
Alexander Gadet is associated with/owns? the company from 1882 until his death
in 1894. From 1882 until 1894 the Belgian Company uses the corporate name of
Scholberg & Gadet, and during this same period the Company’s Brazilian corporate
name is Scholberg, Joucla & Silva.
(is
Alexander Gadet related to the Laport family? son of Alexander Laport?)
3)
Leopoldo Joucla the Vice-Consul of France, who is also an importer of wines to
Brazil, is a partner in the Scholberg, Joucla & Silva Company of Pelotas from
1882 until 1894.
4) Silva
– there is no information on who Silva might be, but in 1894 he withdraws from
the partnership in Brazil, and the Company is renamed as Scholberg & Joucla,
this is the corporate name until 1907.
In 1907,
and until 1936, the corporate name becomes Scholberg & Cia., the partners are:
Mrs. Clementine Sueyder Scholberg, Mr. Eugenio Belmondy and Mr. John H.
Jacotett.
NOTE:
this information seems to be somewhat disconnected from the preceding
information on the Braziian Company – I believe that this information
(1907-1936) has to do solely with the Belgian “Scholberg” Company
The same
association of Laporte/Scholberg that formed the Scholberg, Joucla & Silva
Company in Pelotas, Brazil also opened offices or formed new partnerships in
both Montevideo, Uruguay and Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina.
The
Uruguayan Company was named Broqua & Scholberg, and the Argentine Company was
named Broqua, Scholberg & Cia.
There is
no information from the Brazilian sources as to when these new partnerships were
formed.
I would
certainly appreciate any help in working through these details - do they
coincide with information that you have on the Laport/Scholberg companies. Are
there any contradictions here with information that you already have?
I am
trying to find out locally when the Broqua & Scholberg Company was formed in
Montevideo.
Richard
I read
this study with interest because I am unaware of about all the life of these
various companies in South America!!
These
manufacturers of weapons of Liège did not make, to my knowledge, of exhaustive
studies on the various facets of their company.
So that
we have only bits of truth!
I
consequently deliver the little bit of information to you which could interest
you:
-
LAPORT
Guillaume was registered with the proofhouse of LIEGE of 1850 to 1863.
-
LAPORT
Alexandre is deceased the 07.01.1855.
-
LAPORT
widowed Madam, brothers and son were registered with the proofhouse of LIEGE of
1863 to 1876 thus taking the continuation of Guillaume LAPORT.
-
SCHOLBERG
& GADET were registered with the proofhouse of LIEGE of 1861 to 1885.
-
This last
company addresses it was street JONFOSSE 22 in LIEGE, the address that you to
announce in LIEGE which occurred ROGIER (and not Roger) n° 6 is unknown for me,
it perhaps acts of a private address??
GG
In
addition here of the information emanating of Inès Laport, downward direct of
Laport.
Alexandre
LAPORT is a natural child born the 17.04.1782.
He
started to work as arms manufacturer at the PECKLERS, in the Saint-Léonard
suburb in Liege.
The son
of Alexandre LAPORT, Louis LAPORT, married Emilie GADET and they had a son
called also Alexandre LAPORT, also arms manufacturer, born in 1840 and died in
25 years in 1865.
Emilie
GADET is thus well the Widow Louis Laport about which you speak.
Friendly
Ines
Laport
Scholberg History
Hello
Alan, i wrote to you a few months ago about family Scholberg. I see that there
are some questions on the site that i could answer and i'm glad to help.
First of
all, Christovam Alphonse Guillaume Scholberg was the first introducer of
Scholberg in South America, as it would be known by many as Coqueiro in Pelotas
Brazil.
Another
point is that she was established in 1850, by A. Gadet and A.G. Scholberg, both
old partners of Laport in Rio de Janeiro.
Alexander
Gadet left the Pelotas enterprise in 1882, that changed the name for Scholberg
Joucla & Silva. The name of Silva is Francisco Eurico da Silva, he dies in 1894,
changing the name of the enterprise for Scholberg & Joucla, owned by Leopoldo
Joucla and Clementine Sueyder (or Smegrs) Scholberg, the "Scholberg Widow".
In 1907
the company change again the name, after Joucla's death. It becomes Scholberg
&Cia, owned by Clementine, Eugenio Belmondy and Joao Jacottet, both Belmondy and
Jacottet being great citizens of Pelotas, very rich and powerful.
The Palm
Tree brand (Coqueiro) was because of a giant palm tree located in front of the
house, situated in Avenue Andrade Neves 147-117, after 1882, so there's no Gadet
with palm tree brand.
The
company close its door due to the great crysis of Pelotas that happened in 1937,
leaving the best gaucho knife and gun shop that EVER touched the south american
soil in the history books.
Now,
about Broqua & Scholberg, Montevideo Uruguay.
The shop
opened its doors in Street Rincon 139 in the year 1856, with the association of
Alfonso Broqua and A.G. Scholberg, using the Sun of May brand, called popularly
by "Sol de Broqua", in those times the company was a military shop, but along
the ages she started to become more and more a Bazaar selling all kind of very
expensive stuff, Christofle plate, Carrara marble, Thiers & Nogent steel in the
knives, Solingen steel in the razors and swords.
In 1890,
the company changes to street Sarandi 250-254, and in 1897 the brand adds the
name of Armeria Nacional (National Armory).
In 1911
the numbers change and 250 of Sarandi is now 671-667.
In 1921
the company acquires a new building, side by side with the old one, in the 683,
starting the BIGGEST bazaar ever in Uruguay. Because of WW2 Broqua & Scholberg
could not get steel from Europe, causing that the steel called D Crowned,
produced by the Delaire & Cie in Thiers and used in the Broqua & Scholberg
knives to be never more seen in south american territories. The bazaar stopped
selling weapons and by 1976-1980 it closed its doors due to the dictature strong
taxes in Uruguay.
Today
FANACU owns the right of the name Broqua & Scholberg producing solingen-steel
knives, those of lower quality compared to the old ones. Remember, Gadet of
Pelotas did not supply Broqua of Montevideo, he was only a partner in business,
A.G. Scholberg was the true brain behind, as well as Clementine. Today an
original Scholberg can cost more than 20 thousand dollars because of the
silverware and gold work in them, depending on the piece of course.
I'm
writting a book about it, if you could provide me pictures of Scholberg in
Belgium as well as when they ceased to work, and any other information i would
be glad to put it in the book with all the dued appreciation to you. Thank you
very much my friend, any questions i will be glad to answer if i can.
Michel Gruenberg
