Nipper
This dog is, perhaps, one of the most recognized dogs in the world. (Of course, Snoopy has to be right at the top as well! We love him too!) But, how did this cute little dog come about...who created this loveable Fox Terrier? Why, Francis Barraud, of course! Who? Francis Barraud was a British portrait painter from around the late 1890's. One day, a cute little dog, named Nipper, sat by his side listening attentively to a cylinder-style phonograph talking machine. (NOTE:The semi-circle insert is the image most often used!) Some say that the dog was his...some say it was his brother's.
Regardless, the image of this dog, head cocked, listening to the phonograph stuck with him and he decided to make a painting of it. Isn't it funny the things that inspire artist to make their creations?
Though, precise details are "vague", it is believed that the owner of the gramophone company saw the painting and agreed to buy it...on the spot! After a deal had been made, the owner asked Francis if there was a name for his painting, to which he quickly replied, "His Mater's Voice". The earlier cylinder-style phonograph image was replaced with the "newer disc" version and sold to Gramophone Company Ltd. The painting became the trademark of the Victor Talking Machine Company in 1901. Later on, in 1929, RCA purchased the Victor Company, (located in Camden, New Jersey). They aquired the talking Machine manufacturing plant and the now famous Victor dog trademark. You may notice this in the vintage ads that we show you here on this page.
Early models of the Victor Talking Machine were mostly smaller table-top models, with a large detachable horn to help amplify the music. (like the insert image!) Soon enough, as the idea of phonographs continued to grow, these phonograph units became larger and larger. The horns were replaced by fancy cabinets where the music reflected around it's wooden interior for amplification. This unit shown here was a very elaborate one with the capacity to store many of your favorite 78 records. The famous Fox Terrier was used extensively in early advertising campaigns. He was well known throughout the world. RCA continued to use him into the late 1960's, where he mostly disappeared, with the exception of it's record labels and album covers. He was reintroduced later on in 1990 as a live dog featured in many national TV commercials. Chipper, was introduced one year later, as Nipper's faithful sidekick. Throughout the years, he has come and gone, but never, ever, forgotten... And, we still love that dog!
Notice anything different in the RCA ad below? Of course, they are advertising for their color TV's. This ad, from 1956 (Collier's magazine) may help explain the 1st demise of Nipper. He was not used in this ad! Television was beginning to make huge advances in technology and the demand for 78 records was fadely...quickly. RCA was moving on... Why Do We Collect This Loveable Dog?Here's our story...Looking back, this is probably the genesis of our website...here today! Why?Because, a long time ago (30+ years at least) we attended an auction and purchased many old 78 records in a "box lot". Included in this purchase was a few random items that the previous owner had aquired. Just simple things really, like some old receipts, many old record sleeves, a record brush (with the Nipper trademark), and a few other items. (Including the above photo, which is actually a postcard.) But, what really caught our eye, was the dog!
That's when we started collecting Nipper ads, Victrola ads, Columbia gramophone ads, and most everything else related to 78 records. And well, one thing lead to another, so to speak... Over the years, these vintage ads, (such as these shown here), have been increasingly harder to find. So, we value our little collection.
These last three ads were acquired just recently and were almost missed. Walking through an old antique shop, they were (barely) noticed tucked away in an old cabinet, buried underneath a pile of "stuff". The magazines were in excellent condition. They came from PUNCH, or the London Charivari 1928-9. All of them featured the famous tagline: His Master's Voice". The name and address listed is The Gramophone Co., Ltd., Oxford Street, London, W 1. Music of romance, opera, and classical: these were the main categories of early 78 records. These ads signify just that! They emphasize the beauty and magnificent performances recorded onlyon "His Mater's Voice" records. "Covent Garden in Your Home". World famous Operatic Artists! Yes, you can have them all...right in your very own living room! Just look for the Fox Terrier...listening to that big, long horn. Yep! We love it! Random Thoughts...Check out this book. It's loaded with beautiful photographs and a ton of information. Mr. Arnold Schartzman really did his homework on this one! Nice job!
In fact, we used this book as a reference for part of our Nipper story, along with a personal letter from RCA detailing Nipper's history and many other newspaper, magazine articles. As mentioned above, most of our collecting started because we started collecting Nipper memorabilia. We know, kind of strange, eh? But really, we went to many auctions, flea markets, antique shops, and the like, searching for our little furry Fox Terrier. As a result, we ended up purchasing many other very cool paper ephemera items. And more....and more.... Well, time went by...and here we are! Go figure! Our Advice? Don't ignore your passion for collecting...regardless of what your passion consists of. It could be anything from, say...Snoopy to Nipper! Focus on your passion and make yourself a nice collection to preserve, cherish, and perhaps, pass on to someone else.
Okay, obviously we realize that this Nipper is not made of paper. For those loyal fans out there, we thought you might enjoy this photo. Return From Nipper to Vintage Ads |
