Thomas Edison’s first movie studio, built in New Jersey in 1893, was called the Black Maria.
The studio stood at Edison’s laboratory complex in West Orange and was used to make short films for the Kinetoscope, an early motion-picture viewing device. Its roof could open, and the building could rotate to follow the sunlight needed for filming.
The name “Black Maria” came from its dark, tar-paper exterior and its resemblance to black police wagons used in the period. Performers, dancers, athletes, and other entertainers appeared before Edison’s camera there. The films were generally viewed individually through a peephole rather than projected to a large audience.
The Black Maria is sometimes described as the first movie studio, although motion-picture experimentation also occurred in other places. Its importance lies in making film production a regular laboratory activity.