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]

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.

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.

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."

The Black Maria in Popular Culture

Black Maria Film Festival
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]

External links

• Edison National Historic Site, "The Black Maria"
• History of Edison Motion Pictures
• Edison's Black Maria: America’s first movie studio