Kinetoscope Parlor: The films of The Black Maria at the Thomas Edison National Historic Park

The Black Maria Studio, established by Thomas Edison in 1893 in West Orange, New Jersey, was the first movie studio in the United States, built specifically for the purpose of creating films to be viewed on the Kinetoscope, a machine that allowed individual viewers to watch films through a peephole viewer.

The films produced in the Black Maria were short, experimental works that ranged across various genres, including drama, comedy, and even early attempts at documentary-style filmmaking. Some of the most notable films include "The Kiss" (1896), one of the first films to feature a passionate kiss, and "The Sneeze" (1894), an early comedic short. These films offered a glimpse into the innovative beginnings of cinema.

VPS enabled augmented reality Kinetoscope Parlor offers a novel way to experience the history of early cinema and allow visitors to step into an immersive version of a Kinetoscope parlor, designed to replicate the early 20th-century experience. Viewers can interact with virtual Kinetoscopes placed outside the Black Maria, each offering a different classic film representing different genres that were part of Edison's early cinematic experiments.

This AR experience offers an opportunity to appreciate the pioneering work of Thomas Edison and the birth of the film industry by providing an interactive, modern twist on the historical experience.

Films are made available courtesy of the Library of Congress: https://www.loc.gov/collections/edison-company-motion-pictures-and-sound-recordings/