Nipper, the RCA Mascot

His Master's Voice was the name of a major British record label created in 1901 by The Gramophone Co. Ltd.  The phrase was coined in the late 1890s from the title of a painting by English artist Francis Barraud which depicted a dog named Nipper listening to a wind-up disc gramophone and tilting his head.  The painting was famously used as the trademark and logo of the Victor Talking Machine Company, later known as RCA Victor. 

The name, Nipper came about because of a trait of his puppyhood which was his tendency to greet strangers by nipping their legs. The RCA dog named Nipper (1884-1895) belonged to Mark Barraud, Francis' brother who was decorator for a London theatre. The dog was born in Bristol, England.  He died of natural causes and was buried in a small park surrounded by magnolia trees. Nipper, commonly identified as a fox terrier was probably a terrier mix.  Some think he was a Jack Russell terrier.  No matter, he was adorable and will remain famous for his iconic pose. 

His Master's Voice (1898)

This trade

This trademark and the trademarked word, "Victrola" identify all our products.  Look under the id!  Look on the label!  

Victor Talking Machine Co., Camden N.J. 

Advertisement from 1921

The Victor Talking Machine Company was an American recording company and phonograph manufacturer.  Victor was an independent enterprise until 1929 when it was purchased by the Radio Corporation of America (RCA) and became the RCA Victor Division of the Radio Corporation of America. 

The RCA Camden New Jersey plant was originally established as a recording studio and research laboratory under the Victor Talking Machine Company in 1907.  By 1911, it had becoma a large factory producing Victor's highly popular "Victrola" phonograph player. 

The Victor at One Market Place

Camden, New Jersey

Established in Camden, New Jersey, Victor was the largest and most prestigious firm of its kind in the world, best know for its use of the iconic "His Master's Voice" trademark, the design, production and marketing of the popular "Victrola" line of photographs and the company's extensive catalog of operatic and classical music recordings by world famous artists on the prestigious Red Seal label. Its origin dates back to 1902 and is currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment. 

Stained glass window from the Victor Company building in Camden, New Jersey 

showing Nipper listening to the gramophone now on display at the Smithsonian.

Left to Right: Richard Pillat, past president; Sandra Haughton, vice president;

Sandy Levins, president; Ron McHugh and Fred Barnum

Camden County Historical Society Board of Trustees

marvel at the fully assembled "His Master's Voice" window

from the Nipper Tower that was uncrated after decades

in storage. 

 

Ron McHugh, who personally has one of the region's largest collection of RCA artifacts, engineered the uncrating of the stained glass piece. Fred Barnum is author of His Master's Voice in America, the definitive history of RCA. 

The iconic image begins to fully emerge as Barnum and McHugh fit the pieces together, assisted by Society volunteer, James Bennett.  In the early 20th century, His Master's Voice became the symbol of Camden's world fame as the city that pioneered the recorded music industry. 

The condition is amazingly good for 93-year-old stained glass!

Fred Barnum 

The 14-foot window was one of four originals in the Victor Tower made for the Victor Company in 1916 by the famous D'Ascenzo Studios in Philadelphia.  It had been stored in a set of three crates .. for 40 years!  The other three stained glass pieces were given to the Smithsonian, Widener University and Penn State.  At Widener University in Chester PA their stained glass piece offers a pleasant surprise over the main staircase in the Wolfgram Memorial Library on campus.  If you find yourself near the main staircase, look up!