Edison's Black Maria facts for kids
The Black Maria (pronounced mə-RY-ə) was Thomas Edison's special film studio in West Orange, New Jersey. Many people call it "America's First Movie Studio" because it was one of the very first places built just for making movies!
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History of the Black Maria
Building the First Movie Studio
In 1893, the Black Maria was finished. It was built at Thomas Edison's labs in West Orange, New Jersey. This building was the world's first studio made just for movies! Its main goal was to create short films for Edison's new invention, the Kinetoscope.
Building the Black Maria started in December 1892. It was completed the next year. The studio had a dark room covered in tar paper. It also had a roof that could open up. The whole building cost about $637.67 back then.
First Films and Public Shows
In May 1893, Edison showed his first films to the public. This happened at the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences. He used films made in the Black Maria. People watched them with a Kinetoscope viewer. One of the first films showed three people pretending to be blacksmiths.
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The very first movies from the Black Maria were officially registered. This happened in August 1893. William Kennedy Dickson, who worked for Edison, helped with this. In January 1894, a famous short film was made. It was called The Edison Kinetoscopic Record of a Sneeze. It's also known as Fred Ott's Sneeze. This film showed Edison's assistant, Fred Ott, sneezing. It was made to help promote the new movie technology. It was one of the first films to be officially protected by copyright.
What Kinds of Films Were Made?
The Black Maria studio made many different kinds of films. They filmed parts of magic shows and plays. They also recorded vaudeville acts, like dancers and strongmen. Even acts from Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show were filmed there. There were also films of boxing matches.
After 1895, many of Edison's films were "actualities." These were non-fiction films. They showed real-life scenes. For example, they filmed street scenes or police and firemen at work. They also filmed trains passing by.
Movies Go Public
On April 14, 1894, Edison's Kinetoscope started being used for business. The Holland Brothers opened the first Kinetoscope Parlor. It was in New York City. For the first time, people could pay to watch movies. They paid 25 cents to see films in five Kinetoscope machines.
Almost 500 people became the first big movie audience. They watched films like Barber Shop and Blacksmiths. The Black Maria studio made all the films for this exciting new entertainment. Soon, more Kinetoscope parlors opened in other cities. These included San Francisco and Chicago. In 1901, the first public film was shown on a screen in Oberlin, Ohio. This started the change from Kinetoscopes to bigger movie screens.
Why the Name "Black Maria"?
The people who worked at the Black Maria studio said it was a small and uncomfortable place. William Kennedy Dickson and Jonathan Campbell gave it its name. It reminded them of police vans, which were also called "Black Marias" or "paddywagons." These vans were cramped, stuffy, and black, just like the studio. Edison himself called it "The Doghouse," but that name didn't stick.
The Black Maria was covered in black tar paper. It had a huge window in the ceiling. This window opened to let in lots of sunlight. Early films needed a huge amount of bright light to be made. The studio was built on a turntable. This meant the window could turn to follow the sun all day. This helped provide natural light for hundreds of Edison's movie productions. The studio was used for eight years.
Performers and Publicity
When news spread about this new invention, performers came from all over the country. They wanted to be in the films at the Black Maria. These silent movies featured dancers, boxers, magicians, and vaudeville performers. Edison often used their appearances for publicity. He would pose with the performers for newspaper articles.
Closing the Studio
In January 1901, Edison built a new movie studio. It was made of glass and located in New York City. Because of this, the Black Maria studio was closed. Edison then tore down the building in 1903.
Today, you can visit a copy of the Black Maria. The U. S. National Park Service keeps a reproduction of it. It was built in 1954. It is now part of the Thomas Edison National Historical Park in West Orange.
Selected films shot at the Black Maria
- Blacksmith Scene (1893)
- Washing the Baby (1893)
- Edison Kinetoscopic Record of a Sneeze, also known as Fred Ott's Sneeze (1894)
- The Dickson Experimental Sound Film (1894/95)
- Fun in a Chinese Laundry (1896)
- Prof. Welton's Boxing Cats
- Sioux Ghost Dance
- Buffalo Bill's Shooting Skill
- Cripple Creek Bar-Room Scene
See also
In Spanish: Black Maria para niños
