This lovely little Parisian machine was catalogued from 1900-1902. While many French manufacturers copied Columbia designs, the Gaulois is one of the few that was based on an Edison phonograph. It is an obvious copy of the Edison Gem, including the key-wound movement and drip-pan underneath the machine. However, the reproducer carriage, reproducer, and horn are uniquely Pathé. While Edison originally sold his Gem only in basic black, the Gaulois was offered in a rainbow of colors, including blue, orange/red, green, black and gray. Various horns were also offered, including glass, aluminum, brass, and tin. The trademark Pathé rooster appears on the front of the case, with the slogan "Je Chante Haut et Clair" ("I Sing Loud and Clear"). The same basic machine was sold through the mail-order company Girard as the Menestrel, without the Pathé logo or name (second from left in above photograph).

The black Gaulois seen here is the earliest model, with a body made of wood painted to resemble enamelled cast iron. It also features elegant gold-painted feet which were not found on the slightly later machines with metal cases. The unusual lightweight horn with angled end is a scarce Pathé "No. 140," with aluminum bell and nickel-plated zinc body. The orange Gaulois is shown with a fluted crystal horn. This horn is a fine reproduction -- to see an original glass horn check out the blue Menestrel on another page.