Yes, that is true, I have seen a photo of the original painting before it was modified. The cylinder phonograph was a British Edison-Bell office dictating machine. The painter offered the painting to Edison-Bell, but they were not interested. He decided to paint a prettier horn and borrowed one from the Gramophone Company in London. They asked to see the painting and offered to buy it if the artist would superimpose their machine’s likeness instead. The Gramophone Company shared the trademark painting with its sister company, the Victor Talking Machine Company in this country. Nipper first appeared on record labels in 1902.