PATHÉSCOPE
ADVERTISING -
LEAFLETS & MAGAZINE ADVERTS
POST WAR (1940s - 1959)
The Pathéscope Company was formed in the UK around 1912 to market the Pathé 28mm KOK cine projector - later it continued marketing the 9.5mm home movie film gauge from 1923 through to 1964 in various forms. Here are various magazine adverts and publlcity leaflets from the UK Pathéscope companies - added as I come across these interestng items. Publicity (if dated) is always a useful guide to dating and for specifications of commercial products.
After the war it took time for Pathéscope to really get going again. The French managing director had died and the company was required to repay a proportion of war-time profits to the French parent company. Business had not been too good during the 1950s - the company was renamed Pathéscope (Great Britain) Ltd after a buy out of the French parent company share around 1957. Sadly this new company although having produced new products and extended advertising, went into receivership around late 1960.
Once Pathéscope got their act together after the war, the
little "Ace" was their lifeblood- easy for them to
assemble
and dealers could still shift hundreds at Christmas! (I talked to
a guy who had been a Pathéscope rep. - his son had
recently started - he took him to a Co-operative Store - his son
sold 600 at one hit! Yes I started movies with an "Ace"
as did people like Ken Russell etc. (I'll eventually find a few
more famous names even if they are now dead!!)
Pathéscope advert from 1949
Adverts in the Amateur Cine World magazine May 1949 (the Gem had
just been launched)
ACW advert Dec1949 - the 'H' and 'Gem' British made!
Advert in the Amateur Cine World "Ten Best" film
competition programme (1951)
this was a really 'state-of-the-art' cine camera, but perhaps not
really up to professional use
Double sided leaflet from Pathéscope, probably 1952 as they
quote 40 years experience (they started about 1912)
The "Pax" was part of the French made Joinville range -
a good machine except for a mazak pulley/flywheel!
Double sided leaflet from Pathéscope, maybe 1950/52 as they
quote 40 years experience (they started about 1912)
A neat camera, easy magazine loading, but special bayonet mount
lenses
Double sided leaflet from Pathéscope, about 1950/52 as they
quote 40 years experience (they started about 1912)
An excellent nicely styled H charger loading camera - French made
- superior to the "H".
Amateur Cine World magazine advert December 1952
Advert in Amateur Cine World magazine dated September 1953
Another double sided leaflet from Pathéscope, probably from
1953 as Kodachrome was at last availab;e for the ninefiver!
One of the first double sided neat publicity leaflets - the
"Gem" was launched sometime around 1947
Early leaflet - the "Son" was introduced around
1951 I think
Another "Son" leaflet - really a "Gem"
with a sound base
Along with other style sales leaflets, Pathéscope seemed to
standardise on these neat double sided ones produced for each
product
presumably handouts at exhibitions and for dealers, they were
also enclosed with written queries etc. As a kid of about 10 or
12
I managed to accumulate lots of these souvenitrs in the 1950s! I
guess this would date from around 1953 when the "Pat"
was introduced
Amateur Cine World April 1954 - think the copy line "the
big three" comes from world power talks at Teheran -Pathé
Newsreel?
Amateur Cine World Sept 1954 - the "Pat"
camera was introduced in 1953 I think, but a bit 'cheap and
cheerful'!
Amateur Cine World magazine advert October 1954
Amateur Cine World magazine advert December 1954
Advert in the Amateur Cine World "Ten Best" film
competition programme in 1955
the excellent Pathé Webo M cine camera but with a fancy name
Amateur Cine World magazine advert - December 1955
Magnetic sound stripe was probably a good idea - I am still keen
to find a complete example for my collection!
Amateur Cine World magazine advert - Feb1956
Whilst French made Pathé projectors (95mm & 16mm) were good
- there was a 50%
import tax making UK assembled American projectors (Ampro / Bell
& Howell) cheaper
Amateur Cine World magazine advert - Jan1956
(An ACW review showed that feed / take-up sprocket film loops
rubbed on the projector casing!
- there was a PM95, but maybe a slight modification ....)
Amateur Cine World magazine advert - Mar1956
I think the PM series were rather better than the Joinville type
Pax projector
maybe I can find something like this in 9.5mm?
Amateur Cine World magazine advert May 1956 - a stupid idea from
the French Pathé parent company - double run 9.5mm! - film was
run through the camera twice - making the film for projection
just 4.75mm wide! - the gear had to be used on its side, and what
a price! A dismal failure......
Amateur Cine World magazine advert - Dec1956
Amateur Cine World advert - August 1957
Pathéscope had just introduced a new cheaper 9.5mm colour film
stock in
the UK - actually a Ferrania colour emulsion (E4) and not bad at
all!
Amateur Cine World advert December 1957 -
this herelded a venture into 8mm as well as 9.5mm printed films
the rights came via the E.J. Fancey group who had used some of
this stuff for a cinema Chaplin Revue
(in fact the end of the Pathéscope "Shoulder Arms" is
from the end of this feature film)
About this time Chaplin arrived in the UK, at an interview he was
asked why -
"to sue that bastard Fancey for copyright infringement"
he said!
I believe the Pathéscope prints were withdrawn as quickly as
possible but no mention in their magazine!
Amateur Cine World magazine advert - Dec 1958
UK Pathéscope were taken over by a UK business man - hence now
Pathéscope (Great Britain ) Ltd.
- launching a revamped 'Gem' in 8mm / 9.5mm / 16mm models, but
that little 'Ace' was still selling at Christmas each year!
Amateur Cine World magazine advert - May 1959
UK Pathéscope had been taken over by a UK business man
hence now Pathéscope (Great Britain ) Ltd. - launching a range
of new products!
By the late 1950s, the French Pathé Joinville projector
series had 'morphed' into this 'P' series
P16 silent, PS16 optical sound and the ultimate PSM16
magnetic/optical sound
These were displayed at the Pathéscope Photo-Fair stand - I was
told a 9.5mm PSM could be ordered specially - my father walked
away - they were about £400!!
I would love an example, a 16mm one would do; (there is doubt
that a PSM95 was ever manufactured)
This neat label was stuck on any packets posted out from
Pathéscope
from the late 1950s - this was on a packet dated Dec 1959
Amateur Cine World magazine advert - Aug 1959 (and up to the
end of the year)
the main new UK made products - a bit of a gamble with everyone
now using 8mm!
Pathéscope (Great Britain) Ltd went into receivership around February 1960. The company was purchased by Great Universal Stores Ltd and became Pathéscope (London) Ltd, mainly to use the Pathéscope name as a trade mark on Great Universal mail-order catalogue photographioc products. So although not including 9.5mm movie products or camera film after 1964, I have now begun another page for the final products from Pathéscope (London) Ltd during the 1960s.
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Created30Mar2015....... Last updated: 22 November 2017
..............pathe/pathepathescopead2.htm .......... ©MMXV
Grahame .L. Newnham
10May2015 - Pat/Ace advert added / 13May2015 - Duplex advert
added
31May2015 - Pathe Webo M adverts added / 03Jun2015 - 1949 Gem
adverts added
09Nov2015 - Dec1949 ACW advert added / 07Feb2017 - 1959 ACW
adverts added
30Oct2017 - Dec1952 ACW advert added / 20Nov2017 - Packet sticky
label added
22Nov2017 - P series leaflet added