Genus

In the Optical Machine Taxonomy I use four levels to cluster optical machines into groups. The most general is order (e.g. Show-boxes). Within orders there can be more than one family (e.g. Boîtes Dioramiques Family). Families can contain more than one Genus (e.g. polyoramas panoptique and Lefort Boîtes). The smallest and most specific category is the species.

These are ongoing notes to document how I am determining genus boundaries.

Genus boundaries are defined by common structural features such as:

Vertical /horizontal orientation
Coulisses /no coulisses
Open /closed structure
Back illumination /no back illumination
Concave mirror /Convex lens
Morphology (e.g. the 3-part structure of the Mondo Niovo)
Significant functional differences, particularly when they affect form (e.g. pull-string vs roll-mechanism for changing images)

Features that can vary within genus boundaries and define different species within the genus:

Minor functional differences within overall similarity of structure (e.g. mechanisms for synchronizing lighting flaps in Boîtes Simples)
...

Features that are acceptable to cross genus boundaries:

Eras defined by image-type (e.g. kulissentheatres with lithos), except where image-format affects device structure (e.g. plaques dioramique defining the family Boîtes Dioramiques
Workshop (e.g. Lefort)
Public /private (e.g. colporter trapez guckkasten)
...

Family	Genus 1	Genus 2	Genus 3	Genus 4	Genus 5	Genus 6
Pull-String Show-Box Family :	Raree Show	Mondo Niovo	Xihu jing jing (China /Japan)	Raek (Russia)
Roll Show-Box Family :	Shahr-E Farang	Bioscope
Graphoscope Family:	Rowsell-Graphoscope	Stereo-Graphoscope-Integrated	Mono-Graphoscope	Snap-Graphoscope	Pedestal-Stereo-Graphoscope	Pedestal-Mono-Graphoscope
Kulissentheater Family:	Kulissentheater – Horizontal	Kulissentheater – Vertical
*Boîtes Dioramiques* Family:	Boîtes Simples	Polyorama Panoptique	Boîtes Dioramiques	Multiple Polyoramas