Species

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 species boundaries.

 

Optical machines of the same species can vary in minor, mostly aesthetic ways but are otherwise identical in form, dimensions, materials of construction, design and function.

 

Features that can vary with species:

• Colour or decoration
• Species of wood used
• Minor variations in physical ornamentation (e.g. carvings, mouldings)
• Minor variations in proportion (e.g. head to body in a trapezgukkasten)
• ...

 

Features that can differentiate species:

• Image-plate size
• Number of lenses
• Decoration or ornamentation that significantly affects form: e.g. turned vs rectilinear elements
• Differences in the dominant material of construction: e.g. wood vs cardboard vs steel
• A significant design innovation: e.g. a pulley system vs a rigid wire to synchronize illumination flaps
• ...

Endnotes: