Bessie, watched by a roadsweeper (conventional type), demonstrates her prowess in Shouldham-street, London. Bessie, the new cleaner, will soon be joining the staff of a big British motor firm. And, as cleaners go, Bessie is big. She stands 4ft. 3ins. high and weighs 1? tons... but in spite of her bulk, she can wipe the floor with other cleaners when it comes to dealing with dust and dirt, her inventor says. Bessie a road vacuum cleaner made her public bow on Tuesday (1.2.55), and made a clean sweep off a stretch of road in Shouldham-street, London. W. Mr. Robert Fraser, 58, the inventor, told a reporter: "I think this machine is the answer to the dust problem which often causes ill-health in industry. March 02, 1955. (Photo by Daily Mirror).