What significant invention did Thomas Edison create that advanced early film exhibition?

Thomas Edison's significant invention that advanced early film exhibition is the Kinetoscope. The Kinetoscope was a pioneering motion picture device that allowed individuals to view moving images through a peephole in a viewer. It operated on the principle of utilizing a continuous loop of film, which was rapidly moved past a light source, creating the illusion of motion.

This invention was crucial in the late 19th century because it was one of the first devices to bring motion pictures to the public in a practical format. The Kinetoscope was often set up in penny arcades and similar establishments, where audiences could watch short films one at a time. It laid the groundwork for the future of cinema by demonstrating the potential of film as an entertainment medium and encouraging further innovations in filmmaking and exhibition techniques.

In contrast, Cinemascope refers to a widescreen film format developed later in the 1950s, while the Moviola was a film editing machine that aided filmmakers in cutting and splicing film, not in its exhibition. The Animatograph is an early film projector that emerged after the Kinetoscope, further diversifying the ways films could be shown to larger audiences.