The Black Maria was Thomas Edison's movie production studio, built in West Orange, New Jersey, completed in February, 1893 at a cost of $637.67. It closed in January 1901 and Edison demolished the building in 1903. The US National Park Service maintains a reproduction of The Black Maria, built in 1954 at what is now the Edison National Historic Site in West Orange. The name was pronounced and often spelled "Mariah." Thomas Alva Edison (February 11, 1847 – October 18, 1931) was an inventor and businessman who developed many devices which greatly influenced life in the 20th Century. ... A movie studio is a company which develops, equips and maintains a controlled environment for the making of a film. ... Map of West Orange Township in Essex County West Orange is a township located in Essex County, New Jersey. ... 1893 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... This article is about general United States currency. ... 1901 (MCMI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1903 (MCMIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Motto: E pluribus unum (1789 to 1956) (Latin: Out of Many, One) In God We Trust (1956 to present) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City Official language(s) None at federal level; English de facto Government  â€¢ President  â€¢ Vice President Federal republic George... 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For more than forty years, the laboratory created by Thomas Alva Edison in West Orange, New Jersey, had enormous impact on the lives of millions of people worldwide. ...

The Black Maria was, apparently, a small and uncomfortable place to work. Edison employees W.K. Dickson and Jonathan Campbell coined the name -- it reminded them of police Black Marias, (a.k.a. "paddywagons") of the time because they were also cramped, stuffy and a similar black color. Edison, however, called it "The Doghouse." William Kennedy Laurie Dickson (August 3, 1860 - September 28, 1935) was a Scottish inventor who is credited with the invention of the motion picture camera under the employ of Thomas Edison. ... Jonathan Campbell (1902) Jonathan Campbell (1939) Jonathan Phillip Campbell ( 1875– 1942) was an early pioneer in the motion picture industry. ... A paddywagon is a vehicle used by police to transport large groups of people who have been arrested. ... For the color, see black. ...

Widely cited as "America's First Movie Studio", the Maria was covered in black tarpaper and had a huge window in the ceiling that opened up to let in sunlight because early films required a tremendous amount of bright light. It was built on a turntable so the window could rotate toward the sun throughout the day, supplying natural light for hundreds of Edison movie productions over its eight year lifespan.

When word spread about the new invention, performers flocked to the Black Maria from all over the country in order to be in the films. These silent movies featured dancers, pugilists, magicians and vaudeville performers. Of course, this was great publicity for Edison who would often pose with the performers for newspaper articles. A silent film is a film which has no accompanying soundtrack. ... A contemporary dancer rehearsing Dance (from Old French dancier, perhaps from Frankish) generally refers to human movement either used as a form of expression (see also body language) or presented in a social, spiritual or performance setting. ... Joe Louis and Rocky Marciano at Madison Square Garden, 1951 Julio Cesar Chavez and Ivan Robinson at the Staples Centre, Los Angeles, 2005 Amir Khan of Britain and Mario Cesar Kindelan Mesa of Cuba at the Athens Olympics, 2004 Boxing, nicknamed the sweet science and the sport of kings and... The term magician can refer to a practitioner of either paranormal magic or illusionism. ... Vaudeville is a style of multi-act theatre which flourished in North America from the 1880s through the 1920s. ...

Films Shot at the Black Maria

• Edison Kinetoscopic Record of a Sneeze a.k.a. Fred Ott's Sneeze
• Blacksmith Scene
• Prof. Welton's Boxing Cats
• Sioux Ghost Dance
• Buffalo Bill's Shooting Skill
• Cripple Creek Bar-Room Scene

Blacksmith Scene is an 1893 actuality showing three men working at a smithy while drinking beer. ...

The Black Maria in Popular Culture

• They Might Be Giants "...see the Black Maria revolving slowly on its platform" in their song, Edison Museum."
• Marvel Comics feature a superhero called "Black Mariah"
• "A TASTE OF MURDER: Diabolically Delicious Recipes from Contemporary Mystery Writers", Edited by Jo Grossman & Robert Weibezahl, features a recipe called "Pork Chops Black Mariah."
• Todd Rundgren wrote and performed a song called "Black Maria" on the album "Something/Anything," which was released in 1972.
• The Clash references the structure in their song "Guns of Brixton." "No need for the Black Mariah, goodbye to the Brixton sun... The song can be found on their London Calling album.

They Might Be Giants (commonly abbreviated to TMBG) are an American pop/rock duo consisting of John Linnell and John Flansburgh, collectively known as the two Johns or John and John. Known for their experimental / pop music, they have been popular on college campuses and earned a reputation as intellectual... It has been suggested that Felicia (pseudonym) be merged into this article or section. ... Superman and Batman: Worlds Finest Heroes. ... Todd Rundgren (born June 22, 1948) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and record producer born in Upper Darby, a suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Rundgren began his career in Woodys Truck Stop, a locally popular Philadelphia electric blues band on the model of the Paul Butterfield Band, which...

External links

• Edison National Historic Site, "The Black Maria"
• History of Edison Motion Pictures
• Edison's Black Maria: America’s first movie studio
• Black Maria Film Festival
• EDISON: The Invention of the Movies