Gaumont-Franco-Film-Aubert - French Film Company Stock Certificate - Fantastic History

Stock with globes, eagle and film artwork at center in a muted underprinting. A great scarce motion picture topic. Great!!!

The Gaumont Film Company, often shortened to Gaumont, is a French film studio headquartered in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France. Founded in 1895 by the engineer-turned-inventor Léon Gaumont (1864–1946), it holds the distinction of being the oldest surviving film company in the world. Established before other prominent studios like Pathé (founded in 1896), Titanus (1904), Nordisk Film (1906), Universal, Paramount, and Nikkatsu (founded in 1912), Gaumont has a rich history.

Gaumont primarily engages in film production, co-production, and distribution. In 2011, a significant portion of its consolidated revenues, amounting to 95%, was generated from its film division. The company has been expanding its presence in the television industry, particularly through its American subsidiary, Gaumont International Television, as well as its existing French production features.

Gaumont is currently led by a management team consisting of Nicolas Seydoux as the President, Sidonie Dumas as the General Director, and Christophe Riandee as the Deputy General Director.

Initially, Gaumont operated in the photographic apparatus industry. However, in 1897, they ventured into the production of short films to promote their camera-projector. Notably, Léon Gaumont’s secretary, Alice Guy-Blaché, made history as the first female director in the motion picture industry. She held the esteemed position of Head of Production at the Gaumont film studio from 1897 to 1907. From 1905 to 1914, Gaumont’s Cité Elgé studios, located at La Villette, France, held the distinction of being the largest film studios in the world, based on the pronunciation of the founder’s initials, L-G. Gaumont further solidified its presence in the film industry by producing full-length feature films in 1908