His Master's Voice

[greyelm]

The recent news about HMVs troubles reminded me that Nipper the dog in the His Master's Voice logo was buried in my local town of Kingston Upon Thames. Here is a picture I snapped a couple of years ago of the alley named after Nipper

 

[Luke]

I have an old metal bank in the form of Nipper.....

PA081531 by Lukinosity, on Flickr

Nipper by Lukinosity, on Flickr

 

[Gary]

I do remember Nipper. If that three lane street is an alley, I hate to see your highways.

 

[greyelm]

I do remember Nipper. If that three lane street is an alley, I hate to see your highways.

The alley is to the left of the sign, the road lanes are part of the infamous one way system around the town centre, I always get confused when I go there.

 

[Gary]

Got it.

 

[Luke]

I love the story of "His Master's Voice". I had always thought that it just meant the dog would listen to anything on the RCA (or HMV for the Brits) label.

But the painting (which is apparently based on a photograph {which I have never seen}) is older than the usage by the recording company. Seems the dog's original owner had passed away and his brother (a painter of some skill) was playing some recording his brother had made while still alive and the dog suddenly became transfixed at hearing the sound of his master (now no loner alive!) coming from the grammophone.

 

[BBW]

I certainly remember the iconic Nipper and the Victrola. We had a Victrola when I was growing up (my parents weren't audiophiles, but we did have 78s and regular albums, too.). Ours, however, didn't have that "horn" and it had a radio built in to it.

P.S. Thanks for that backstory, Luke.

 

[Crsnydertx]

Nipper had an exalted place in our household, as my late father's principal client in the 50's and early 60's was RCA in Camden, New Jersey. By way of coincidence, he was also a licensed ham radio operator, with a call sign randomly issued - not requested - of W3NIP. So to his fellow hams, my dad's on-air handle was Nipper!

 

[BBW]

I always thought the ham radio thing might have been kind of a precursor to a good internet forum. Never experienced it myself but I think I would have liked it. That's a great bit of family history, Chuck!

 

[Crsnydertx]

More Nipper lore - for those who just can't get enough of this scintillating topic biggrin :

Nipper - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[pdh]

The alley is to the left of the sign, the road lanes are part of the infamous one way system around the town centre, I always get confused when I go there.

remember that fantastic Italian Espresso bar round the corner ? - a real relic of the early '60s, all chrome and red leather ... long since gone now of course, but it did last 'til the late '80s

 

[Luke]

If any of you ever come to visit my shop in Milwaukee, you can meet Nipper....
View attachment 64339
His Master's Voice by Lukinosity, on Flickr

 

[Crsnydertx]

If any of you ever come to visit my shop in Milwaukee, you can meet Nipper....
View attachment 64340
His Master's Voice by Lukinosity, on Flickr

One more coincidence for me: my father worked for Allen-Bradley, whose headquarters building and clock are/were Milwaukee landmarks.

Sorry - getting old tends to be about reminiscing....

 

[Luke]

One more coincidence for me: my father worked for Allen-Bradley, whose headquarters building and clock are/were Milwaukee landmarks.

Sorry - getting old tends to be about reminiscing....

I pass RIGHT by that building (literally underneath/through) a couple times a month....and I see the clock tower every day on my way to work. I'll have to get you some shots Chuck. The building and the clocktower are classic Milwaukee.

 

[greyelm]

remember that fantastic Italian Espresso bar round the corner ? - a real relic of the early '60s, all chrome and red leather ... long since gone now of course, but it did last 'til the late '80s

Although I worked at Kingston Hospital for 40 years and even lived in Kingston town in the 70s I seldom went to the town after I moved a bit further out so I don't remember the Expresso Bar. The town has changed a lot over the years and is a good place to take photographs, especially down by the Thames.