The story of RCA’s Nipper: His Master’s Voice

February 2, 2008

his_masters_voiceNipper, (1884-1895) the fox terrier on His Master’s Voice label (RCA) was the dog of an English painter, Francis Barraud (1856-1924). His painting, and the rights to reproduce it, was sold for one hundred pounds. Click on painting for larger view.

nip_painter

The only known photograph of Nipper (left) and Frances Barraud (right) working on one of the 24 copies of “His Master’s Voice” that were commissioned by the Victor Company.

— from The Difficulty of Being a Dog, by Roger Grenier (translated by Alice Kaplan), The University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 2000.

Comments

Got something to say?

You must be logged in to post a comment.