Nipper was a dog from Bristol, England, who served as the model for an 1898 painting by Francis Barraud titled His Master's Voice.
12 Facts About Nipper
2.
Nipper was born in 1884 in Bristol, England, and died in September 1895.
3.
Nipper was likely a mixed-breed dog, although most early sources suggest that he was a Smooth Fox Terrier, or perhaps a Jack Russell Terrier, or possibly "part Bull Terrier".
4.
Nipper was named Nipper because he would often "nip" at the backs of visitors' legs.
5.
Nipper originally lived with his owner, Mark Henry Barraud, in the Prince's Theatre where Barraud was a scenery designer.
6.
Nipper died of natural causes in 1895 and was buried in Kingston upon Thames at Clarence Street, in a small park surrounded by magnolia trees.
7.
Since Nipper died in 1895, a replacement dog was used.
8.
The iconic image of a terrier-mix dog, Nipper, looking into a phonograph became an international symbol of quality and excellence for the Victor Talking Machine Company and later RCA Victor.
9.
Real dogs continue to play the roles of Nipper and Chipper, but Chipper has to be replaced much more frequently, since his character is a puppy.
10.
Nipper continues to be the mascot of HMV stores in countries where the entertainment retailer has the rights to him.
11.
Nipper now sits atop the Maryland Historical Society building at Park Avenue and West Centre Street in Baltimore.
12.
The Baltimore Nipper was saved when the Virginia site where he briefly resided was sold to developers.