Muybridge invents the Zoopraxiscope, a device that projects images painted onto a rotating glass disc. The Zoopraxiscope displayed the images in rapid succession, creating the illusion of movement. It predates and possibly influenced other early motion picture devices.

Muybridge demonstrates the Zoopraxiscope to audiences across the United States and Europe, showcasing his photographs of animals and humans in motion. These demonstrations are popular and generate significant interest in the possibilities of motion pictures.

Muybridge displays the Zoopraxiscope at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, reaching a vast audience and further solidifying his place in the history of motion pictures.