First known Animation attempts (OUDF403)

Animation originates from Paleolithic/ Cave drawings, which portrayed movements within the drawings. Many people believe the drawings were a way of communicating with each other and other thought that they were just decoration for there home. The earliest one to be found is from the Aurignician period approximately 40,000 years ago found in the El Castillo cave in Cantabria, Spain.

El Castillo cave paintings.

5,200 years ago people attempted to animate their drawings by drawing an animation on bowls which would be spun to reveal movements. For example a bowl in Iran; 

A bowl found in Iran.

4000 years ago Egyptian created murals which revealed wrestlers in action which is also another attempt of creating animation.

The Magic Lantern was invented in the 1650s, there isn't a definite as to who invented it but the main theory is that Christiaan Huygens created the first device. It projects images from a light source pretty much like a modern day projector but bigger and uses candles and oil lamps.

The Magic Lantern

All images may be subject to copyright. 

Information obtained from various websites such as magiclantern.org.uk/history.