The Pathe' Brothers were some of the industry's first moguls, owning everything from the cameras to the studios and the theaters. They purchased the rights to their camera and movement from the Lumiere Brothers, the first manufacturers of a commercially successful motion picture camera. At first they shot on their own film size, with their own perforations so no one else could steal and exhibit their films. Piracy was a huge problem in the early days of film, come to think of it it's still a huge problem. In 1909 the industry made a standards and practice alliance and all agreed to work on the Bell and Howell 35mm perforations. A standard that is still used today. In order to prevent piracy, the Pathe' logo of the "Growing Cock" was always placed somewhere in their films. In one film, this logo can be seen in a great carved headboard on a four poster bed that was supposed to belong to Louis XIV.  Because of its serial number camera 961 may be as recent as 1917.  All the Pathe records have been lost so a definitive manufacture date for any Pathe camera is mostly conjecture. This Pathe' can perform in camera dissolves. It will mechanically fade to white by the touch of a button on the top of the camera. This is accomplished in four feet of film through a gearing system that physically opens the iris while cranking the camera. It will perform same mechanical act in reverse and fade to black by stopping down the iris.