Monkeyshines #1 was an attempt at using a cylinder to store image for use in Edison's Kinetoscope. It was not ideal, and as you can see in the quality of the images that remain, the resolution was terrible, but it was the start.
I can't help but think of experimental films of the 1950s and 60s when I watch this. It feels as if this could have been shot and seen at the most avant garde film festivals alongside Jonas Mekas or Emlen Ettin. These are beautifully abstract images that aren't meant to be abstract. The fact that they were made when nearly all of the Impressionists were still alive is an interesting fact, especially since many would claim they were both doing the same thing - trying to represent the world around them the best that they could.