Press Resources

British Pathé's Story

Before television, people went to movie theatres to watch the news. British Pathé was at the forefront of cinematic journalism, blending information with entertainment to popular effect. Over the course of a century, the company documented everything from major armed conflicts and seismic political crises to the curious hobbies and eccentric lives of ordinary people

Now considered to be the finest newsreel archive in the world, British Pathé is a treasure trove of 85,000 films unrivalled in their historical and cultural significance. Spanning the years from 1896 to 1978, the collection includes footage from around the globe of major events, famous faces, fashion trends, travel, science and culture. It is an invaluable resource for broadcasters, documentary producers, and archive researchers worldwide.

British Pathé also represents Reuters' historical collection, which includes more than 130,000 items from Reuters-owned collections Gaumont Graphic (1910-1932), Empire News Bulletin (1926-1930), British Paramount (1931-1957), and Gaumont British (1934-1959), as well as Visnews content from 1957 to the end of 1984. The footage can be viewed on the British Pathé website.

Reuters' Story

Reuters, the world's largest international news agency, employs 2,500 journalists in 200 locations delivering news in 16 different languages. Known around the globe for speed, accuracy and fairness, Reuters provides insight, depth and understanding to more than a billion people every day. More: Reuters Website

Key Facts and Figures

• British Pathé's Founder: Charles Pathé
• British Pathé's Foundation Year: 1910
• British Pathé's Headquarters: London, United Kingdom
• British Pathé's Parents: Pathé Frères (1910-1927), First National (1927-31), Warner Brothers (1931-33), Associated British Picture Corporation (1933-58), Warner Brothers (1958-69), EMI (1969-86), The Cannon Group (1986-87), Weintraub Entertainment Group (1987-89), Parkfield Group (1989-90), Greenbranch (1990-95), Daily Mail and General Trust (1995-2008), independent (2008-present)
• No. of British Pathé Items: 85,000 films and 12 million stills produced from them
• No. of Reuters Items: 130,000 films
• British Pathé Item Dates: 1896-1978, Newsreels 1910-70
• Reuters Item Dates: 1910-1984
• Main Genres: Newsreels, Documentaries, Cinemagazines
• British Pathé's Current Activities: Footage and Stills Licensing, Online Streaming
• British Pathé's Clients: Broadcasters, Producers, Museums, and Schools, among others.

As well as the website you are currently visiting, British Pathé can also be found on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, WordPress and LinkedIn.

The British Pathé Brand

Various logos are available for use by journalists. They must not be used in a manner which suggests endorsement by British Pathé. Their original aspect ratio and colour scheme must be retained.

British Pathé Images

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