The Black Maria (pronounced "b. ma-RYE-uh" (sic) and often spelled "Mariah" to reflect the sound, this article reflects the spelling used by the United States National Park Service which maintains the Edison National Historic Site). [1] (http://www.nps.gov/edis/edisonia/virtual%20tour/blackmaria/blackmaria.htm) The National Park Service (NPS) is the United States Federal Government agency that deals with all National Parks, many National Monuments, and other conservation properties with various designations. ...

Thomas Edison's movie production studio. It was built in West Orange, New Jersey, completed in February, 1893 at a cost of $637.67. It was and closed in January, 1901. Edison demolished the building in 1903. The US National Park Service maintains a reproduction of The Black Maria, built in 1954 at the Edison Museum in West Orange. Thomas Alva Edison (February 11, 1847 - October 18, 1931) was an inventor and businessman who developed many important devices. ... A movie studio is a location, room, building, or group of buildings and/or sound stages, offices and storage facilities, which may include a backlot, where movies are made. ... West Orange is a township located in Essex County, New Jersey. ... Events January 1 - Japan accepts the Gregorian calendar January 2 - Introduction by Webb C. Ball of the General Railroad Timepiece Standards in North America: Railroad chronometers January 13 - The UK has its first meeting. ... The United States dollar is the official currency of the United States. ... 1901 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1954 was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Widely cited as "America's First Movie Studio", the Maria was covered in tarpaper and 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.

These silent movies featured dancers, pugilists, magicians and vaudeville performers. A silent film is a film which has no accompanying soundtrack. ... A contemporary dancer rehearsing in a dance studio Dance generally refers to human movement either used as a form of expression or presented in a social, spiritual or performance setting. ... Boxer redirects here; for other meanings of boxer, see Boxer (disambiguation). ... Magician redirects here. ... Vaudeville is a style of theater, also known as variety, which flourished in North America from the 1880s through the 1920s. ...

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. 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. ... MPD officers man a police-line in the District of Columbia A car of the Devon and Cornwall Constabulary, England Police forces are government organisations ostensibly charged with the responsibility of maintaining law and order. ... A paddy wagon is a vehicle used by police to transport large groups of people who have been arrested. ... Black is a color with several subtle differences in meaning. ...

Edison, however, called it "The Doghouse."

The Black Maria in Popular Culture

Black Maria Film Festival (http://www.blackmariafilmfestival.org/)
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" [sic]
"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." [2] (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Edison%27s_Black_Maria&action=edit) They Might Be Giants (commonly abbreviated to TMBG) is a pop/rock duo consisting of John Linnell and John Flansburgh, collectively known as the two Johns or John and John. TMBGs most famous songs are probably one single from each of their first three albums, Dont Lets... Marvel Comics, sometimes called by the nickname House of Ideas, is an American comic book company. ... A superhero is a fictional character who is noted for feats of courage and nobility and who usually has a colorful name and costume and abilities beyond those of normal human beings. ...

External links

• Edison National Historic Site, "The Black Maria" (http://www.nps.gov/edis/edisonia/virtual%20tour/blackmaria/blackmaria.htm)
• History of Edison Motion Pictures (http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/edhtml/edmvhist1.html)
• Edison's Black Maria: America’s first movie studio (http://ar.essortment.com/moviethomasedi_rcgn.htm)