>From what I understand, they were all produced by Pathe for the same application. I have some of each label as well. The Pathe labels might lead one to think they'd be lateral-cut, since the label info "Pathe Actuelle", "copyright 1920", etc., is the same as Pathe's American laterals, but they're all vertical, sapphire-ball cut, as I'm sure yours are as well. And at 120 rpm, I bet these things were almost Auxetophone loud. (Well, maybe not quite that loud, but loud for sure.)
A part of the reason I jumped at the chance to buy all 12 (11, really, one was broken) of these discs was because the more of them you bind together in a tight stack, the less chance there is of breakage. I got a package from Kurt Nauck with my auction winnings a few years ago, probably 50 or 60 discs of different sizes. The box was dented, ripped, kicked in on two corners... I was sick to my stomach as I opened it, positive I had nothing but 15 pounds of shellac chips in there, but not even one disc was damaged in any way because of Kurt's packing technique of taking all discs of a given size and binding them together into one thick stack so that every disc strengthens those next to it, then binding all the stacks together in a graduated stack. I've been preaching this technique ever since, and indeed, these 16" monsters came to me unscathed. Unfortunately, in shipping single discs of this size, anything can happen. My suggestion would be to sandwich the disc between 16" x 16" pieces of 1/8" thick pressboard, and/or in the middle of eight 16" x 16" sheets of heavy-duty corrugated cardboard with the grains alternating horizontal and vertical, then bind that sandwich together very tightly. Put that sandwich inside a 17" x 17" x 5" box with all the styrofoam peanuts you can stuff in there (or sheets of foam rubber). The key is to immobilize the disc completely so that the finished package is very solid, so that you can shake it vigorously and nothing inside is moving around whatsoever. Then I'd take a big Sharpee marker and write FRAGILE! on every side of the box, and on the large sides, I'd additionally write HIGHLY INSURED!, all in very large letters. (This last one seems to make a real difference -- if the handlers know their bosses are going to pay dearly for any damage, they seem to be more careful than if you only write FRAGILE.) Hope that's helpful! Best, Robert ----- Original Message ----- From: "BruceY" <[email protected]> To: "Antique Phonograph List" <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, February 25, 2008 6:54 AM Subject: Re: [Phono-L] 15 3/4" Pathe Records, and Music Service Co. > Hi Robert, Thanks for your reply. I am assuming that the other labels (but > exactly the same size as the Pathe's) is a client label in Fall River, > Mass. and these are Pathe made as well(see my original thread). Are these > records in fact Lateral Groove?, I assume that because they say "Pathe > Actuelle" or did they have earlier vertical groove material on them? Also > give me a tip on how to ship these monsters if I decide to sell a few. > > Bruce
