British company sleeve · London N.W.10

Pathé Actuelle “Needle Cut” record sleeve

The sleeve of Pathé’s British lateral-cut records, explaining why the firm had started making discs for ordinary gramophones.

Dating at a glance

Printed: c. 1921 – 1928
probably the earlier part of that range
In use: 1920s
Confidence: High for 1921–1928. Low-medium for “earlier part”
Basis: The life of British Actuelle records, and the sleeve’s own explanation of them

The sleeve

Brown paper printed in maroon. The front reads Pathé Actuelle Registered Record with the Pathé cockerel and Needle Cut, and along the bottom exact duplicate of ACTUAL performance. A panel below the hole begins:

In order to satisfy the persistent demand for a record with the Pathé Tone by owners of talking-machines not yet equipped to play the Pathé Record, this Company has decided to supply this demand … by manufacturing a needle-cut record. … [it] cannot be played with the Sapphire Ball.
PATHÉ FRÈRES PATHÉPHONE Ltd. LONDON, N.W.10.

The back is headed A few very fine selections from our catalogue which you will enjoy and Will play on all Gramophones, and lists Double faced classical & operatic records by world famous artists at popular prices. The artists include Yvonne Gall, Claudia Muzio, Aristodemo Giorgini, Tito Schipa, Cecil Sherwood, Adamo Didur, the Garde Républicaine Band, Prof. Ranzato, Berkes Belas Tzigane Orchestra, the Pathé Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Court Trio and the Ferera Quartette, with catalogue numbers in 10000 (10-inch) and 15000 (12-inch) series and label colours (green, pink, ivory).

There are handwritten marks on the front: “122” at top left, “BX45” at top right and a green mark beside it. No printer’s imprint is visible.

Brown Pathé Actuelle sleeve front printed in maroon, with the Pathé cockerel, Needle Cut, and a panel of text below the centre hole. — Front. Select the image for a larger view.

Brown Pathé Actuelle sleeve back with ornamental side panels listing classical and operatic records. — Back: a selection from the catalogue.

The evidence

DocumentedBritish Actuelle, September 1921 to December 1928. Pathé’s lateral-cut (needle-cut) Actuelle discs came out in Britain in September 1921, and the popular 10000 series ran until December 1928 (University of Surrey, Early British disc record labels).
ObservedThe catalogue numbers fit. The 10-inch numbers on the back are in the 10000s, the series the Surrey page describes.
InferredProbably earlier rather than later. The sleeve explains needle-cut records as a new step for people not yet equipped to play the Pathé Record, the vertical-cut disc played with a sapphire ball. That reads like the start of the Actuelle period, when vertical Pathés were still on sale. It is our reading of the wording, not a dated example.
InferredN.W.10. The London address N.W.10 fits Pathé’s British works of the period, but we have not checked the street address, so it does not narrow the date.

Sources

University of Surrey, Early British disc record labels 1898–1926: A (Actuelle): https://www.surrey.ac.uk/early-british-disc-record-labels-1898-1926/a-z/a
University of Surrey, Early British disc record labels 1898–1926: P (Pathé): https://www.surrey.ac.uk/early-british-disc-record-labels-1898-1926/a-z/p

What we could not find

A dated example of this sleeve holding an Actuelle record.
Release dates for the numbers on the back, which would show when the list was set. Mike Langridge’s British Pathé listing (CLPGS) would be the place to check.

Researched 12 November 2026 from Simon’s photographs of that evening.