His Master's Voice

This article is about the entertainment trademark. For the British record label, see His Master's Voice (British record label). For the entertainment retailer, see HMV. For other uses, see His Master's Voice (disambiguation).

His Master's Voice

His Master's Voice (1899) by Francis Barraud

Owner

Talisman Brands, Inc. (United States, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Cuba, Indonesia, South Korea and Uruguay) Hilco Capital (United Kingdom, Australia, Brunei, European Union, Iceland, Israel, Kenya, Namibia, Norway, Switzerland, Sudan and New Zealand) JVCKenwood/Victor Entertainment (Japan) HMV Brand Pte Ltd. (Singapore, China, Malaysia, Taiwan and Thailand) Palm Green Capital Limited (Albania, Bahrain, Estonia, India, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Mexico, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Oman, Serbia, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and Ukraine)

His Master's Voice is an entertainment trademark that has been used by retailers, record labels and sound equipment manufacturers. It is derived from the painting of the same name that depicts a real dog named Nipper, quizzically peering into the horn of wind-up gramophone. The scene was painted posthumously by Nipper's owner, Francis Barraud, in 1898. ^{[1] [2] [3]}

An example of the His Master's Voice trademark being used by EMI for a music award.

History

The Gramophone Company / EMI Records / HMV (United Kingdom)

In early 1899, Francis Barraud applied for copyright of the original 1989 painting using the descriptive working title Dog looking at and listening to a Phonograph. He was unable to sell the work to any cylinder phonograph company.^{[ citation needed ]} The painting had been originally offered to James Hough, manager of Edison-Bell in London, but he declined, saying "dogs don't listen to phonographs".^{[ citation needed ]} William Barry Owen, the American founder of the Gramophone Company in England, offered to purchase the painting for £100, under the condition that Barraud modify the cylinder phonograph to show one of their disc machines. ^[4] Barraud complied and the image was first used on the company's catalogue from December 1899. As the trademark gained in popularity, several additional copies were subsequently commissioned from the artist for various corporate purposes. ^[5]

The company also began using the imagery on its gramophones. In 1909, The Gramophone Company launched the His Master's Voice record label. In 1921, the company launched His Master's Voice retailer. The company also created overseas divisions, such as His Master's Voice India. The Gramophone Company later became EMI. ^[6]

An example of a coloured vinyl single using the His Master's Voice trademark.

An example of the Victor Talking Machine Company in the United States using the "His Master's Voice" trademark for an advertisement in 1921.

In 1993, EMI closed the His Master's Voice record label, and in 1998, spun off the retailer to become its own company. ^[7]

In June 2003, the formal His Master's Voice trademark transfer took place from EMI Records to HMV Media Group plc. ^[8] In January 2013, HMV Group plc would later be rescued by Hilco Capital, who retained the His Master's Voice trademark rights when they sold the HMV stores to Sunrise Records. ^[9]

Victor Talking Machine Company / RCA Victor (United States)

Emile Berliner, inventor of the gramophone, saw the picture in London and registered it as a trademark in the USA in July, 1900. In 1901, the Victor Talking Machine Company (later RCA Victor) in Camden, New Jersey, the American affiliate of the Gramophone Company, adopted the name and imagery and used it extensively on its products and advertising. In 1929, the Radio Corporation of America (RCA) purchased the Victor Talking Machine Company and expanded the use of the trademark on radios, television sets and other electronics. ^[10] The company also expanded to Japan, but lost the business in 1943 due to World War II, with the business continuing as its own entity. ^[11]

Use of "His Master's Voice"

Current

Retailers

• HMV UK (Since 1921, "HMV" initials owned by JD Sports, and "His Master's Voice" owned by Hilco Capital).
• HMV Ireland (Since 1986, "HMV" initials and "His Master's Voice" are both owned by Hilco Capital).
• HMV Canada (Since 1986, "HMV" initials owned by Hilco Capital, but "His Master's Voice" is owned by Talisman Brands, Inc).
• HMV Belgium (Since 2023, "HMV" initials and "His Master's Voice" are both owned by Hilco Capital).
• HMV Japan (Since 1990, "HMV" initials are owned by Lawson).

Sound equipment manufacturers

• HMV Electronics (Since 2023, "HMV" initials is owned by Victor Musical Industries Inc, but "His Master's Voice" is owned by Talisman Brands, Inc) [United States]

Record labels

• Victor Entertainment (Since 1972, "His Master's Voice" is owned by its parent, JVCKenwood) [Japan]

Former

Retail

• HMV Australia (1989–2010, "HMV" initials and "His Master's Voice" are both owned by Hilco Capital).
• HMV Germany (1990s–2000s, "HMV" initials and "His Master's Voice" are both owned by Hilco Capital).
• HMV Hong Kong and HMV Singapore (1990s–2010s, "HMV" initials and "His Master's Voice" are both owned by HMV Brand Pte Ltd).
• HMV Middle East (2015–2022, "HMV" initials are owned by Al Mana Lifestyle Trading in Oman and Qatar, but by Palm Green Capital Limited in United Arab Emirates.
• HMV United States (1990s–2000s, "His Master's Voice" is owned by Talisman Brands, Inc).

Sound equipment manufacturers and recording labels

• Deutsche Grammophon (1900–1949) [Germany]
• Electrola (1920s)
• EMI Music Australia, formerly used "His Master's Voice"
• Gramophone Company / EMI (1899–1993) [UK]
  • His Master's Voice (British record label) [UK]
• Gramophone Company India (1901–2000) [India]
• La voce del padrone (1904–1931) [Italy]
• Victor Talking Machine Company / RCA Records (1901– c.2004, used sporadically thereafter) [USA]
• Universal Music New Zealand, formerly traded as 'His Master's Voice' when owned by EMI

Advertisement for "His Master's Voice" gramophones in the Dutch East Indies, 1930s

References

1. "Francis Barraud & Nipper". London Remembers. Retrieved 2 January 2025.
2. audiopolitan (21 June 2013). "His Master's Voice". audiopolitan. Retrieved 2 January 2025.
3. Harrison, Kieran (19 October 2017). "His Master's Voice". FGD1 The Archive. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
4. Rye, Howard (2002). Kernfeld, Barry (ed.). The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz. Vol. 2 (2nd ed.). New York: Grove's Dictionaries Inc. p. 249. ISBN   1-56159-284-6.
5. "The Nipper Saga". Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 27 May 2006.
6. "Page 13 Record Labels :Howard Friedman MusicWeb-International". www.musicweb-international.com. Retrieved 13 March 2025.
7. Brooks2013-01-15T11:27:00, David. "HMV timeline: Charting the company's history". Retail Week. Retrieved 13 March 2025.
8. "Trade Mark Details as at 28 February 2013: HMV Group plc". Patent.gov.uk. Retrieved 28 February 2013.
9. Butler, Sarah (28 January 2013). "HMV next for Hilco – restructuring expert that preys on dying brands". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2 January 2025.
10. Meador, Granger (5 December 2023). "Remembering His Master's Voice". MEADOR.ORG. Retrieved 2 January 2025.
11. "History of Victor Company of Japan, Limited". FundingUniverse. Retrieved 13 March 2025.

Further reading

• Barnum, Fred (1991). His Master's Voice in America.
• Southall, Brian (1996). The Story of the World's Leading Music Retailer: HMV 75, 1921–1996.

External links

• Musée des ondes Emile Berliner
• List of releases at 45worlds.com
• His Master's Voice discography at Discogs
• Musée des ondes Emile Berliner – Montréal Archived 16 February 2015 at the Wayback Machine