Thaumatropes

In 1826, a man called Dr. John Ayrton Paris began selling the first animated toys in London. He called his toy a thaumatrope, which is Greek for 'wonder turner'.
It consisted simply of a circle with two pieces of string attached to it. When the circle is spun, the images on the back and front blended together to form a single picture. Popular images included birds in cages, circus performers and the encounters between dogs and cats.