In 1829, Belgian physicist Joseph Plateau invented the Phenakistoscope, an early animation device.
It used a spinning disc attached vertically to a handle.
The user would spin the disc and look through the moving slits at the disc's reflection in a mirror.
The Phenakistoscope, otherwise known as the Phantascope, is commonly regarded by historians as the first "moving picture" machine.
And generally speaking, what Victorians wanted to see when they peered into these machines was mad, psychedelic stuff.
Like devils getting their heads chopped off.
Or children being swallowed by giant lampposts with gaping mouths.
Or hypnotic spinning discs.
Occasionally the animations depicted everyday things too, like horse riding.
And gymnastics.
And dancing.
But mostly they were just wonderfully trippy.
Courtesy of the Richard Balzer collection. H/t Colossal.