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
Back to Top