Nov. 24, 1955
Image: John Drysdale/Keystone Features/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Taking its name from the title of a Francis Barraud painting of a dog listening to a gramophone, His Master’s Voice (HMV) was the unofficial name for the Gramophone Company’s record label
The company opened its first HMV record store in London in 1921, and expanded in the UK and Canada throughout the 20th century.
At HMV, customers could buy records and record players, but also listen to the latest songs.
In the 1950s, HMV introduced special sound-isolating booths where customers could sample new sounds without having to wear headphones. (They also had enough room to squeeze in a close friend or two.) Read more…
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