I learned a new word today: myriorama. According to wikipedia, Myriorama originally meant a set of illustrated cards which 19th century children could arrange and re-arrange, forming different pictures.
I learned it when I found this myriorama by Tom Gauld called Endless Journey, inspired by the works of Laurence Sterne. The book has twelve picture cards which can be arranged to form 479,001,600 different landscapes.
The place that sells the book says:
Myriorama, or ‘Many Thousand Views’ consist of numerous cards depicting fragments or segments of landscapes that can be arranged in a multitude of different combinations. This ‘entertainment’ for young ladies and gentlemen originated in France. The first English version in 1824 was a set of 16 cards which depicted Gothic ruins, castles, cottages, a lighthouse, a man fishing and a gypsy encampment. These landmarks had a backdrop of mountains with islands and a lake to add extra texture and depth.
Whenever the cards were taken out and arranged upon a table, they produced a landscape of harmony which was variable, compatible and satisfying to the user without being geographically identifiable. This first myriorama seems to have been an instant success and many varieties were created to satisfy the demands of the public.
Oh, and I forgot to mention that on the back of every card there is a section of the animal’s description, so when you change the image, both the name and the description of the animal change, too. A lot of fun.