Nipper, the iconic Jack Russell terrier, is the central figure in the "His Master's Voice" trademark used by RCA Victor and other record companies. Born in 1884 in Bristol, England, Nipper was a mixed-breed dog owned by Mark Henry Barraud, a theatrical scenic artist. After Barraud’s death, his brother Francis Barraud painted Nipper listening to a phonograph in 1898, originally titled Dog Looking at and Listening to a Phonograph. The painting was later renamed His Master’s Voice, symbolizing a dog recognizing his deceased master’s voice on a recording.
The image was acquired by the Gramophone Company in 1899 for £100, with the condition that the cylinder phonograph be replaced with a Berliner disc gramophone. The trademark was registered in the U.S. on July 10, 1900, and became a cornerstone of advertising for the Victor Talking Machine Company, later RCA Victor. The slogan "His Master’s Voice" and Nipper’s image were used on records, phonographs, store signs, and promotional materials worldwide.
An RCA Victor "His Master's Voice" cloth advertising sign would typically feature Nipper with his head tilted toward a gramophone, often with the slogan in bold. These signs were used in retail stores and advertising campaigns to promote RCA Victor products. The trademark was acquired by RCA in 1929 and remains a symbol of audio quality and heritage.
Today, the original painting is held by the EMI Archive Trust, and Nipper’s legacy lives on through collectibles, statues (like the 28-foot version in Albany, New York), and the modern RCA "RCA Dogs" mascot, which includes Chipper, a puppy added in 1990.