Thomas A. Edison finishes construction of the first motion picture studio, the Black Maria in West Orange, New Jersey.

Thomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices in fields such as electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording, and motion pictures. These inventions, which include the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and early versions of the electric light bulb, have had a widespread impact on the modern industrialized world. He was one of the first inventors to apply the principles of organized science and teamwork to the process of invention, working with many researchers and employees. He established the first industrial research laboratory. Edison has been accused of taking credit for inventions that were largely developed by others working under him or contemporaries outside his lab.

A film studio is a major entertainment company that makes films. Today, studios are mostly financing and distribution entities. In addition, they may have their own studio facility or facilities; however, most firms in the entertainment industry have never had their own studios, but have rented space from other companies instead. Day-to-day filming operations are generally handled by a production company subsidiary.

The Black Maria was Thomas Edison's film production studio in West Orange, New Jersey. It was the world's first film studio.

West Orange is a suburban township in Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 48,843, an increase of 2,636 (+5.7%) from the 2010 census count of 46,207, which in turn reflected an increase of 1,264 (+2.8%) from the 44,943 counted in the 2000 census.