Comments on: Advertising History: The Origin of ‘Nipper,’ the RCA Victor Dog

By: Helga

Helga — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 04:47:25 +0000

I too have a rca ceramic dog, he is 9.5″ tall and has a brwon collar with brown eyes and ears. I can’t seem to find this guy anywhere else. My husband remembers playing with it as a kid, and now he got it after his grandpa past away. Any ideas on value, or maybe a good place to do more research? Any help is appreciated!
dutchmillsfarm@yahoo.com

By: Valerie

Valerie — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 13:02:11 +0000

Dave,
I too have worked at RCA for over 25 years and have many RCA memorabiles. I have the Nipper poster along with many RCA posters. Your story is true. I worked for the RCA plant which was on Rt. 202 in Raritan NJ.

By: Debbie

Debbie — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 15:06:30 +0000

I have a orginal RCA victor ceramic dog. I was wondering the price on this ? if you have any information on this, I would appreciate it. thank you, Debbie e-mail address is italiangirl59@aol.com

By: Stella

Stella — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 00:26:38 +0000

I grew up next door to Barry Owen’s house in Vineyard Haven, Mass on Martha’s Vineyard. He was the island’s first millionaire. There were small white painted wooden crosses in the garden near us. People always claimed that “Nipper” was buried there. It was a magical notion for a 6 year old in 1950.

By: PhonoJack

PhonoJack — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 20:53:13 +0000

Edison was never offered the painting or rights to the painting. There is no evidence that Tom Edison ever regretted not taking rights to the Nipper logo.

The orignal painting now hangs at EMI outside of London. you can see the original Edison phonograph that had been painted over and replaced with what we now call the Trademark Gramophone then sold by the British Gramophone Company. The decision to buy the painting and rights to the logo was made by William Barry Owen, Managing Director of the Gramphone Company in England.

Emile Berliner later applied for the and was granted the Trademark rights to Nipper which were subsequently sold or licenses to other companies.

By: Mike Wilcox

Mike Wilcox — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 16:56:58 +0000

Nonsense, Nipper was born, lived and died in London. Edison had nothing to do with the British Gramophone Company.

By: Dave

Dave — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 00:52:07 +0000

Well, I worked for “Nipper” for 37+ years until after going from RCA to GE to Thomson and then crashing and burning and the ashes got sent to China with the rest of our manufacturing base in the USA — I can tell you this story is fact – and fiction.. I met Nipper and asked him ( just joking), I got my info direct from the General ( Sarnoff ) and Ralph Hill the then Comtroller for RCA CORP in the mid 70′s ( and no doubt biased – so I did my own homework.. The original was indeed a painting no doubt by whom stated, but wound up in the hands ( and trademark ) of the THEN totally European – Thomson corp — same as the latter who bought us ( how ironic ? )… They had the EUROPE rights, but at you stated – the Berliner did indeed copyright it in the US on return ( easy to check) but most references to Edison beyond the original offer are a stretch.. TAE had a habit of bragging after all. He turned it down – and regretted it for the rest of his life. As a “Nipper” myself – I have collect memorobilia all these years and can only hope it ends up in good hands of my daughters.. Nice story – kudos.. these things should go down in history.. dave

By: Jeff

Jeff — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 19:12:24 +0000

Get the story straight.

Nipper was an orphan dog owned by Mr. Ted Shatimeyer, former president of RCA Victor. Ted went to the local dog pound in Princeton NJ to get another dog for his sick father, Samuel, as both a service dog an companion dog. After the invention of the Victrola, Nipper was given to Thomas Edison, where he then lived in Llewelyn Pack in West Orange New Jersey.

By: John

John — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 22:06:32 +0000

Mark Barraud was hardly destitute when he died. He was one of the most succesful portrait photographers in London. A poor man could have scarcely afforded an Edison-Bell Phonograph at that time. The worthpoint article is not quite on the money on several points of fact.

By: jack

jack — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 21:58:45 +0000

There is also mythology regarding this advertising: I have been told that the dog was listening to his master’s voice recorded prior to his death. Dogs are legendary for loyalty.

By: Jacqui

Jacqui — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 19:29:34 +0000

This is a very nice story. I was fortunate to meet his grandson, Attorney Francis Speh, some twenty-year ago. He show me were his grandfather had also, donated a brick for the WGN Tribune building in Chicago. I love hearing and reading the story behind the artist.

By: Nick Ryan

Nick Ryan — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 06:34:18 +0000

Hi, good story if a little conflicting to this one http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/His_Master%27s_Voice

Thank you for your viewpoint

Nick

By: maryb

maryb — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 19:01:46 +0000

This reminded me to check out the value of my Nipper in the Worthopedia. Found one just like it (a limited edition) that sold for close to $100 a few years ago. Interesting story, Mike. Thank you.