The Pathé Acoustic Era: Unconventional Technologies, Factory Process and Management

The Pathe company, although one of the key players at the dawn of the phonographic industry, is today one of the least documented. This article will explore the unconventional methods utilized by Pathe's technology, through the monumental developments of the phonographic industry, in order to understand the underlying reasons of Pathes market strategies as they relate to other leading international players. Today, there is a significant amount of uncertainty regarding the cataloging of Pathes products, mainly due to a distinct two-step duplication process, the code system management of each media issue, and the Pathes own destruction of primary sources from its acoustical period. The compilation of a discography requires a significant amount of research effort and data validation. In the case of Pathe, the available data are difficult to certify, especially where the reference/bibliography provide conflicting or questionable reports. To address these problems and accurately identify and catalog each issue of Pathes cylinders and discs, the company's peculiar code system and its internal connections are examined and described.