Animal Figure. A Bull and Fox Terrier mix, he was named for his not so playful habit of nipping visitors behind their legs. His owner, English painter Francis Barraud, also noted the dog's peculiar interest in his new gramophone; he would inspect the machine thoroughly, trying to locate the people whose voices kept coming from the speaker horn. But it was not until 1899, four years after Nipper's death, that Barraud commemorated the curious canine with a painting he called "His Master's Voice". The Gramophone Company (later RCA Victor) bought the picture and registered it and its title as trademarks. Barraud went on to a good living painting copies of "His Master's Voice" and Nipper became the most recognizable logo in the recording industry, appearing on millions of records and record sleeves until the HMV imprint folded in 1986. (Nipper promotional items are still popular collectibles). In 1949 RCA placed a memorial plaque on Nipper's grave, beneath a mulberry tree in a garden at Kingston-Upon-Thames. The site is now a parking lot, but the plaque is on display inside a nearby bank.
Animal Figure. A Bull and Fox Terrier mix, he was named for his not so playful habit of nipping visitors behind their legs. His owner, English painter Francis Barraud, also noted the dog's peculiar interest in his new gramophone; he would inspect the machine thoroughly, trying to locate the people whose voices kept coming from the speaker horn. But it was not until 1899, four years after Nipper's death, that Barraud commemorated the curious canine with a painting he called "His Master's Voice". The Gramophone Company (later RCA Victor) bought the picture and registered it and its title as trademarks. Barraud went on to a good living painting copies of "His Master's Voice" and Nipper became the most recognizable logo in the recording industry, appearing on millions of records and record sleeves until the HMV imprint folded in 1986. (Nipper promotional items are still popular collectibles). In 1949 RCA placed a memorial plaque on Nipper's grave, beneath a mulberry tree in a garden at Kingston-Upon-Thames. The site is now a parking lot, but the plaque is on display inside a nearby bank.
Bio by: Bobb Edwards
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