The Real McCoy: Lewis Temple, Jan E. Matzeliger, and Norbert Rillieux

Object Details

Creator

Anacostia Museum

James, Portia P.

Reinckens, Sharon A.

Smithsonian Institution

Scope and Contents

The exhibition, The Real McCoy: African-American Invention and Innovation, included three short documentary films: Lewis Temple and Hunting the Whale, Jan E. Matzeliger, and Norbert Rillieux. Lewis Temple and Hunting the Whale provides an overview of early 19th century whaling industry and tools, including the toggle head harpoon invented by blacksmith Lewis Temple. The short documentary about Jan Matzeliger provides an overview of the shoe industry and shoe making, including the refining of Matzeliger's idea and success of his shoe-lasting machine. The short documentary about Norbert Rillieux covers the history of sugar production and manufacturing from early sugar processing through the development of Rillieux's sugar refining process and the installation of Rillieux's device at Theodore Packwood's Myrtle Grove Plantation. All three documentaries provide historical background of three inventors' families and life, respectively.

Short documentary films. Part of The Real McCoy: Afro-American Invention and Innovation 1619-1930 Audiovisual Materials. AV000926 includes all three short films, dated 19910606. AV003326 includes Norbert Rillieux only (film image direction is sideways), dated 19890505. AV003324: Jan E. Matzeliger, undated. AV003433: outtakes, edited voiceover narration by Portia James for Lewis Temple and Hunting the Whale, dated 19890517. AV000226: loop tape of Norbert Rillieux with captions, undated. AV000227: loop tape of Lewis Temple and Hunting the Whale with captions, dated 19920526. AV000228: loop tape of Lewis Temple and Hunting the Whale with captions, undated.

Date

circa 1990

Extent

3 Video recordings (open reel, 1 inch)

3 Video recordings (VHS)

1 Sound recording (open reel, 1/4 inch)

Type

Archival materials

Video recordings

Sound recordings

Documentary films

Narration

Topic

African Americans

African American inventors

Inventors

Inventions

Technology

Technological innovations

Whaling

Shoe industry

Shoe machinery industry

Shoemaking

Sugar

Sugar -- Manufacture and refining

Sugar machinery

Patents

Slavery

Enslaved persons

Museum exhibits

Place

Anacostia (Washington, D.C.)

Washington (D.C.)

United States

Citation

The Real McCoy: Lewis Temple, Jan E. Matzeliger, and Norbert Rillieux, Exhibition Records AV03-026, Anacostia Community Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier

ACMA.03-026, Item ACMA AV000926

Local Numbers

ACMA AV003326 ACMA AV003324 ACMA AV003433 ACMA AV000226 ACMA AV000227 ACMA AV000228