[78-L] Barraud "Nipper" painting at auction in Maine

[Michael Biel]

Last year Mark Chester posted a link to a notice of an auction of the 
Sherman-Clay store's Barraud-painted copy of the HMV trademark picture.  
The other shoe was never dropped.  We all wanted to know what happened?  
Who got it and how much??  I just signed up with the auction and looked 
-- the price realized was listed as 0.00 which meant it either didn't 
get its reserve price or it was withdrawn.  This note was added but 
there was no indication that it was withdrawn.  " *REVISED: 6/26/2009 ~ 
* Additional Information: According to someone familiar with this work 
it is not a genuine original. We do not know this for sure. We are 
selling it with no guarantee (It is 60-80 years old for sure)"

Anybody hear now what happened?

Mike Biel  mbiel at mbiel.com 

Mark S. Chester wrote:
> I saw in an auction flyer from James D. Julia in Fairfield, Maine, that they
> have an oil-on-canvas Nipper painted by Barraud himself. The catalog
> description follows:
>
> "ORIGINAL VICTOR GRAMOPHONE "NIPPER" OIL ON CANVAS. This painting by the
> Bristol, UK artist Francis Barraud used the Jack Russell terrier named
> Nipper (fond of "nipping" at the heels of visitors) that he had inherited
> upon his brother Mark's death as his model. Barraud tried selling his
> painting to Edison-Bell, but they didn't bite. However, their competitors
> the Gramophone and Victor companies were taken by the image, renaming it
> "His Master's Voice" and it became one of the most recognized images in
> American advertising. The Gramophone and Victor companies commissioned
> Barraud to paint 24 copies of his 1899 original for distribution to their
> branch offices. This painting is signed in the lower right corner with the
> artist's initials and the Roman numeral "VII", being the 7th he produced.
> SIZE: Overall: 34-1/2" w 24-1/2" h. PROVENANCE: From the Sherman Clay
> Company which was the west coast's largest music store from the mid teens to
> about 1940. They were the largest Victor Talking Machine retailer on the
> west coast and at that time were give the painting from E.R. Johnson who was
> this Victor Co. CEO. CONDITION: The canvas in very good to near excellent
> condition with only a small area of paint loss adjacent to the edge of the
> upper frame. Painting is in its original gilt frame with metal plaque which
> reads "His Master's Voice". 1-9253 (8,000-12,000) [sale: ATD June 09]"
>
> Of course, they omitted the details about Barraud painting over the Edison
> cylinder player with the trademark model Berliner Gramophone and that was
> what induced the G&T company to purchase it.
>
> It's lot #1306 of the upcoming June 26 Advertising, Toy & Doll Auction.
>
> Go to
> http://jamesdjulia.com/auctions/div_catalog_275_search.asp?search=lots
> and enter lot 1306 in the "search lot number" box and you'll find the
> listing.
>
> The home page for this auction is at
> http://jamesdjulia.com/atd.asp; scroll down until you come to:
>
> "Auctions:
> June 2009 - Advertising, Toy & Doll Auction"
>
> where there is a description and a link to the catalog.
>
> Mark S. Chester
> Phoenixville, PA