Vinnie Ream - Infinite Women

Born: 25 September 1847, United States
Died: 12 January 1914
Country most active: United States
Also known as: Vinnie Ream Hoxie

From Woman: Her Position, Influence and Achievement Throughout the Civilized World. Designed and Arranged by William C. King. Published in 1900 by The King-Richardson Co. Copyright 1903 The King-Richardson Co.:
This woman enjoys the distinction of being the first woman to receive an order from the United States government for a statue.
Her birthplace was in Wisconsin but the greater part of her life has been in Washington, D.C. Her father for some years held an important government position in the capital city and Miss Ream was in the employ of the post office department for some time. She at length discovered her own taste and talent for art and devoted her energies to that end with special reference to sculpture.
Her skill was such that she made busts of several prominent men, among them General Grant, John Sherman, and Thaddeus Stevens. She produced also “The Indian Girl,” a full length figure caste in bronze. “Miriam” in marble was one of her noted productions.
But the statue of Abraham Lincoln which she executed in bronze to be placed in the Capital was one of the History’s Women: Misc. Articles: Vinnie Ream Hoxie, The First American Sculptor, Vinnie Ream’s Sculptor of Abraham Lincolncrowning honors of her life. After having finished the model she gook it to Italy to be transferred to marble. Her parents accompanied her and together they lived in Rome for three years. For this statue she received fifteen thousand dollars.
While in Europe Gustave Doré gave Miss Ream a painting by his own hand with the inscription, “Offered to Vinnie Ream on the part of her affectionate colleague, Gustave Doré.” Spurgeon, Kaulbach, the painter, and Cardinal Antonelli sat to her for likenesses.
The statue of Admiral Farragut on the square in Washington, named for the naval war hero, is her work. When Miss Ream received the order for the statue she worked on the model in the ordinance building of the navy yard and the statue was cast from the metal of the propeller of Admiral Farragut’s flagship, The “Hartford.” While at work on the model she married Lieutenant Hoxie.
Facing Farragut square is the residence which Captain Hoxie built for himself and wife. After marriage she continued to model but for love rather than money.

From Famous Women: An Outline of Feminine Achievement Through the Ages With Life Stories of Five Hundred Noted Women. Written by Joseph Adelman, published 1926 by Ellis M Lonow Company:
Vinnie Ream Hoxie, an American sculptor, born at Madison, Wis. She studied in Paris and Rome, and shortly after Lincoln’s death, which still a young girl, she won a $30,000 prize in a competition for a statue of the martyred president.
The first woman sculptor ever to receive a commission from the government, she executed a life-size figure, which is now in the rotunda of the Capital at Washington. Congress later commissioned her to make the heroic statue of Farragut, now in Farragut Square, Washington.
Her work is represented in various cities here and abroad. In 1878 she was married to Major R.L. Hoxie of the U.S. Engineers.

“The following is excerpted from “”400 Outstanding Women of the World and the Costumology of Their Time”” by Minna Moscherosch Schmidt, published in 1933.
Vinnie Ream was born in Madison,Wisconsin in 1847 . When fifteen years of age Vinnie in two hours, modeled a medallion of an Indian chief so cleverly as to at once attract the attention of Thaddeus Stevens, Hon. John Wentworth and other members of Congress, who insisted upon her studying art. In six months she had modeled such striking likenesses of Reverdy Johnson, Frank P. Blair, General Grant, Parson Brownlow, Senator Vorhees, General Albert Pike and Senator Sherman, that she was taken to President Lincoln, who sat to her for his likeness. When he was assassinated, six months later, Congress gave her a commission to make a life size statue of Abraham Lincoln, which stands in marble in the United States Capitol, She received fifteen thousand dollars for this work. After finishing the model, she took it to Italy to be transferred to marble, and lived there for three years. There she made many ideal works and among them a statue of ‘‘Miriaim,” a copy of which she sold to Mrs. Lamer of Philadelphia, for three thousand dollars. Her “Indian Girl” was put in bronze and sold, and Vinnie also made another bust in marble of Lincoln, for Cornell University, and a bust of marble of Mayor Powell of Brooklyn, New York, which now stands in the city hall of that city. She made a likeness of Mr. Rice of Maine, in marble. Congress appropriated twenty-five thousand dollars for a bronze statue of Admiral Farragut, and competing with William Story, Ward, Launt Thompson and many distinguished sculptors, Vinnie Ream won the order. Spurgeon sat in his tabernacle for his likeness, and in Munich, Kaulbach, the great painter, sat to her. In Rome Cardinal Antonelli sat to her for his likeness, and presented her with three stone cameos, set in pearls, one very large and exquisitely beautiful, representing the head of Christ. On the inside of the frame was a beautiful inscription to the artist. Liszt sat to Miss Vinnie for his medallion, and gave her many handsome souvenirs. After she returned to the United States, her statue of Lincoln was unveiled in the rotunda of the Capitol with many imposing ceremonies. Senator Cullum, of Illinois, and Senator Carpenter, of Wisconsin being the speakers. When Miss Vinnie received the order for the statue of Farragut, she worked on the model in the ordnance building of the navy yard, and that statue was cast from the metal of the propeller of the Hartford, his flagship. Before the model was finished she was introduced to Lieutenant Hoxie, a young engineer officer, by General Sherman and they became engaged and married with the warm approval of General Sherman and Mrs. Farragut. General Sherman gave the bride away, and the wedding was one of the most imposing ever seen in Washington. After her marriage, Vinnie at the request of her husband made her models for love and not for money. She was not only a sculptor but had developed a talent both as a poet and musician. Vinnie Ream Hoxie died in 1914.”