Meet Bessie & Roxey
Two extraordinary figures whose stories of courage and determination have often gone untold are celebrated in Donald Lipski’s newest work of public art. Bessie & Roxey can now be found standing a combined 20’ 6” tall in the plaza of the newly renovated Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) Mineola Station in New York. Their connection to Mineola and early 20th-century transportation will be forever preserved in their shared local history.
In 1910 Bessica Raiche, a physician became the first woman in the United States to pilot an airplane solo. The biplane was built by Bessie and her husband in their Mineola home. Their flyer used bamboo, silk, and piano wire instead of the heavier steel and canvas used by the Wright brothers.
Bessica Raiche in the biplane she built with her husband François C. Raiche. She flew this plane on Sept. 16, 1910. WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
After receiving a diamond-studded gold medal from the Aeronautical Society of America inscribed to the “First Woman Aviator of America,” she and her husband started their own company in Mineola building planes and giving flying lessons.
Her aviation career lasted a few more years before she moved to California to continue her previous career as a physician - one of the first American women to specialize in obstetrics and gynecology. She will be remembered as a “new woman of the modern era” who drove a car and practiced the sports of shooting and swimming. She died of complications from heart disease in 1932.
Bessie & Roxey, by Donald Lipski for the LIRR Mineola Station, New York
In her sculptural form, Bessie holds Roxey, a free-spirited pooch who in 1901 made his way onto the LIRR. He was adopted and cared for by the railroad crew and lived out his life on the train for many years. He was much beloved and became the LIRR mascot, with an official pass to sit wherever he chose while train hopping. Roxey often returned with the station master, who adopted him, to sleep in his home in Garden City.
On several occasions, the LIRR dog traveled with President Teddy Roosevelt in his private car to Oyster Bay and even visited the President’s home at Sagamore Hill. Roxey passed away in 1914 and lies in rest next to Sunrise Highway at Merrick Station where loyal commuters come to bring flowers and freshen his water bowl. Roxey’s story is told in the children’s book Miles of Smiles, by Heather Worthington.
The Making of Bessie & Roxey
Like so many great projects, it took a well-orchestrated team to bring Donald Lipski’s vision to life. What started as an idea evolved into a clay model created by realist sculptor Christopher Collins who has worked on numerous Lipski projects over the years. The clay model evolved and went through several revisions and explorations of scale before arriving at the sculpture’s final design.
An early clay model by Christopher Collins captures the gesture and feel of the final sculpture.
A close-up of Bessie’s face captured in clay.
Sketched revisions to capture the look and feel of the final sculpture.
A scaled-up clay model next to an earlier small-scale clay model with reference images of Bessie to guide the design.
The final clay model was then used to create a to scale foam model of the final sculpture to aid in the creation of the final bronze sculpture.
The final foam model is seen here laying segmented in the grass.
Christopher Collins beside a portion of the foam model of Bessie.
Christopher Collins beside the foam model of Roxey.
Once fabricated in bronze by Art Castings of Colorado a final patina was applied.
The bronze sculpture during fabrication at Art Castings of Colorado.
The final bronze sculpture post patina at Art Castings of Colorado.
The final sculpture then made its journey across the country for installation at the newly renovated plaza of the LIRR Mineola Station in late February 2023. Due to the planned unveiling, the artwork had to be installed while covered.
The installation crew is seen moving the sculpture to the final installation site.
Donald Lipski, John Grant, and Nick Geurts pictured with the sculpture post installation and prior to the unveiling.
Bessie & Roxey, by Donald Lipski for the LIRR Mineola Station, New York
This plaque accompanies the sculpture so transit users can learn more about this inspirational duo.
This project was commissioned by the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) Arts & Design and the Long Island Rail Road.