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Pathe-Actuelle Record Label

 Pathe-Actuelle Record Label (1914-1929)

Founded in France and came to the US in 1914 as the Pathe-Freres Phonograph Company. Pathe-US would introduce a short-lived budget brand called Sapphire in 1915. Another label called Actuelle would be created in Sept. 1920. The Actuelle label was at first red, black, and gold on a buff, white, or another color background. They were replaced by a similar label in 1922 of gold and black for popular music or gold and maroon for classical. In 1922 the Pathe-Freres Phonograph Company went bankrupt.

By Nov. 1922 Pathe-Freres was re-organized as the Pathe Phonograph and Radio Corporation. They would introduce two new labels: Perfect and Pathe-Actuelle. The Pathe-Actuelle (sometimes referred to as Pathe) label had a race record series that was introduced in 1924. Pathe-Actuelle and Perfect were merged with the Cameo Record Corporation in Oct. 1927. Two years later, Cameo was bought by the American Record Corporation (ARC) in 1929. ARC dropped Pathe in March 1930 and Perfect in 1938. The Perfect record label can sometimes be seen in red shellac rather than black.

Music Genres: Pop, Orchestra, Classical, Band, Blues

Pre-1941 Label:

Pathe Record Label would last from 1914-1922. In 1922, Pathe-Freres would reorganize as a different company and created a different label.

Pathe Label. Note the Chicken
Pathe Label, 1914. Note the Chicken

The Sapphire Record Label, 1915.

Sapphire Record 1915
Sapphire Record 1915
Actuelle Early Label

Actuelle Label, 1920. This would replace Sapphire as a budget brand label.

Actuelle Label redesign in 1922. This redesign would not last for long as Pathe-Freres would reorganize as a different company the same year.

Actuelle Label, 1922
Actuelle Label, 1922

Pathe-Actuelle Label, 1922. This was the new label of the former Pathe-Freres company, now reorganized as the Pathe Phonograph and Radio Corporation. After ARC buys the corporation in 1929, they would drop the label.

Pathe-Actuelle Label, 1922.
Pathe-Actuelle Label, 1922.

1941-1945 Label: None
Post-WW2 Label: None
Numbers from start to 1945: 10000-60000

Notes: The Perfect Record Label went from #100-16000

Sources:
-Rust, Brian. The American Record Label Book. Arlington House Publishers, NY. 1978.
-Sutton, Nauck. American Record Labels and Companies: An Encyclopedia (1891-1943). Mainspring Press, CO.2000.