On Thursday, D’Amato Records’ iconic HMV sign was taken down by PrevArti Ltd in a bid to restore it to its former glory.

“A new conservation challenge is about to start,” the restoration company said on Facebook.

Exactly a week before, the team at Valletta’s iconic vinyl store woke up to the sight of the synonymous sign smashed and severely damaged by a crane which was being used for works in the building opposite the store.

The 110kg sign did not go out without a fight and it took more than one hour for it to be removed from the wall.

Speaking to Times of Malta store owner Anthony D’Amato explained that the sign was in an “urgent state to be dismantled”.

Following its removal, the sign was taken to Prevarti’s lab to be studied and documented to figure out the best way for it to be reconstructed.

While the sign could possibly be restored to its former glory, it will not return to the place it once belonged to, and will instead be displayed within the store, with a replica replacing it on the outside.

The sign has been in place since right after World War Two and has become a unique gem in the capital city.

The HMV sign features a well-known logo across the world, with a dog staring at a gramophone.

The dog, named Nipper, belonged to Mark Barraud and after his passing, his brother Francis inherited all of his belongings including a gramophone, recordings of Mark’s voice and Nipper.

Nipper was fascinated by the records played on the gramophone, trying to figure out where the voice was coming from. With this scene in mind, three years after his brother’s death, Mark painted the sight calling it “His Master’s Voice.”