Edison's Black Maria

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).http://www.nps.gov/edis/edisonia/virtual%20tour/blackmaria/blackmaria.htm

Related Topics:
United States - National Park Service

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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 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 the Edison Museum in West Orange.

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Thomas Edison - Movie production studio - West Orange, New Jersey - 1893 - $ - 1901 - 1903 - US - 1954 - Edison Museum

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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."

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W.K. Dickson - Jonathan Campbell - Police - Black Marias, (a.k.a. "paddywagons") - Black

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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.

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When word spread about the new invention, performers flocked be in the films. These silent movies featured dancers, pugilists, magicians and vaudeville performers. Of course, this was great plublicity for Edison who would often pose with the performers for newspaper articles.

Related Topics:
Silent movies - Dancers - Pugilists - Magician - Vaudeville

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