More than 240 films produced by Pathé Frères – €32,000 (£27,825) at Auction Team Breker.
On offer were more than 240 films from the years 1910-14, produced by the legendary company Pathé Frères.
The firm was founded in 1896 by four Pathé brothers, two of whom soon departed, leaving Charles and Emile to run the company. They soon advanced to the leading pre-First World War film producers in Europe and the US.
The selection in Cologne was in generally good condition and came from a Dutch film enthusiast. They were all produced on 28mm flame-retardant triacetate film, a format Pathé developed for use in mechanical projectors in regions that did not have electricity.
Among the works were comedies, dramas, travel documentaries, early science-fiction productions and at least six films by the French actor and director Max Linder, who is considered to be the first international film star. Charlie Chaplin was one of his prominent admirers: he once sent him a photo with the dedication “To the professor, from his disciple”.
On auction day, bidding started at €7000. The European institution that secured the archive was able to outpace its competitors only at €32,000 (£27,825).
