Actuelle

Introduced by Pathé Frères Phonograph Co. in September, 1920, the Actuelle label was a lateral-cut companion to its vertical-cut Pathé discs. Most Actuelle releases duplicate material on Pathé vertical-cut discs, but added a zero prefix to the catalog number (i.e., Pathé 20459 = Actuelle 020459). The earliest Actuelle labels were red, black and gold on buff or white backgrounds. These were replaced in 1922 by a similar design in gold on black (popular) or maroon (classical). With the exception of a few 11.5" records, all Actuelle discs were standard 10" pressings. By late 1922, the Pathé Frères Phonograph Co. was in bankruptcy. In November, 1922, the company was reorganized in the U.S. as the Pathé Phonograph & Radio Corp.. At this time a new lateral-cut label (Pathé Actuelle) was introduced, bearing Pathé's script trademark. Pathé's British affiliate, Pathe Frères Pathephone Ltd., continued to produce the Actuelle label in England through the 1920s, however.