From June 14 through August 18, 2019, the Norman Studios presented an exhibit entitled, Norman Studios Presents The Flying Ace, at the Cade Museum for Creativity & Invention in Gainesville, Florida. The exhibition was the result of an exciting collaboration envisioned by Phoebe Cade Miles of the Cade Museum and Barbara Wingo of Norman Studios.
The exhibition highlighted the early days of silent films in Jacksonville, Florida, and in addition to The Flying Ace, the only Norman Studios film existing in its entirety, featured vintage movie posters and other vintage items. The exhibit dovetailed with the Cade’s museum-wide themes of aviation and optics, film & photography.
The Norman Studios complex was founded in 1916 as Eagle Film City during Jacksonville’s tenure as the “Winter Film Capital of the World” and was purchased by Richard E. Norman in the 1920s. Norman Studios was among the nation’s first to produce “race films” showing African-American characters in positive, non-stereotypical roles. Norman’s five-building complex, now a National Historic Landmark, survives in Jacksonville’s Old Arlington neighborhood.
Exhibit Curator Barbara Wingo walked through the exhibit with David and Nancy Norman. David is a grandson of Richard Norman whose portrayals of African Americans in his motion pictures, such as The Green-Eyed Monster, The Bull-dogger and The Flying Ace, challenged the racist stereotypes and mimicry of the time.
The mission of the Norman Studios Silent Film Museum, Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization, is to preserve, present and promote the history of silent motion pictures in Northeast Florida and the history of race films through the reunification and restoration of the Norman Studios complex as a museum, education, film and community center. Learn more at normanstudios.org.