Wanna hear something funny? The ad I had to sit through from YouTube was as long as this animation. Though this is not as old as the moving pictures "Passage de Venus," (1874) this is still very old footage. At 145 years old this year, there are some of us who, unfortunately, can't even trace our families back that far.
Clearly, this was early experimentation with moving pictures so there's nothing else to it but a moving kaleidoscope type image. I know I can look it up, but I wonder if this is the basis and genesis of the kaleidoscope. Looking up "La Roace Magique" I can't find much on its origin and the impetus. Knowledge like that completes the history for me of these short films from the 19th century.
Free on YouTube.