Pre-20th century

From Anipedia

[edit] Early Animation

Animation first started with early human civilization, generally referenced to as 'cavemen'. They would paint animals--The most commonly known is the boar--on cave walls depicted with different sets of legs showing animation.

[edit] 1600 BC

In Egypt, Ramses II built a temple to the goddess Isis which had 110 columns all having different drawings of Isis. When people rode by, Isis Moved.

In Greek civilization, potters would draw people on their vases and such depicting different motions, such as a person running.

[edit] 1640 AD

The first noted attempt at a projected animation was done by Athonasius Kircher with his Magic Lantern.

He would draw each figure on a separate piece of glass which he placed in his lantern, and projected the images on a wall. Then he moved the glass with strings from above. One of them showed a man sleeping, and a mouse on his chest. Whenever he would open his mouth, the mouse would go in.