78rpm FAQ

Frequently asked questions from the new collectors

this page first published by John Wright, 13 Feb 1999
last update 1 Sept 2006vintage@jabw.demon.co.uk

FAQ 4

What was His Master's Voice?

What's the history of the Dog and Horn?

Much has been written about His Master's Voice. A brief history: although Thomas Edison invented the concept of recording sound onto a cylinder and the phonograph machine, it was Emile Berliner who started the gramophone and DISC record business in the early 1890's. After some legal problems he sold the US rights to Eldridge Johnson (an engineer who had built Berliners spring motors). Johnson's company, Consolidated Talking Machine Company, began making his Improved Gram-O-phone Records, and in 1901 it became the Victor Talking Machine Company. Berliner had moved to Montreal, and set up the Berliner Gram-O-Phone Company which later was taken over by Victor Talking Machine Company.

Back in Britain 'The Gramophone Company' had been set up which later became 'The Gramophone and Typewriter Company' and this British branch purchased the now famous painting of "Nipper", the dog sitting at the horn, for use in promotion. "Nipper" appeared first on Victor record labels in 1902. Then in 1909 "Nipper" became the standard trademark of all the European branches and records connected with the British operation bore a full colour picture of "Nipper" and the slogan "His Master's Voice."

The discs are credited to "The Gramophone Company, Limited" but not prominently. People referred to the label as HMV. In USA and Canada discs bore the trade name "Victor". In 1924 Victor aquired the Berliner firm in Canada and in 1929 Victor itself was sold to RCA. In 1931, the British firm (Gramophone Company) merged with the British Columbia label, the American US Columbia label was sold off and Victor firm split from the British company, which was now EMI (Electrical and Musical Industries). In Britain there are still HMV record stores and in 1998 "Nipper" again appeared prominently in the HMV advertising.

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