At the previous turn-of-the-century there was, like today, a demand for visual knowledge and news that the media market of the past profited from. In the years before 1900, the daily press was still lacking pictures, and visualisation of news was therefore displayed in other media.

Lanternslides had, like for instance the one to the left, been a source for visual mediation of national, as well as international events, during the entire 1800s. The early actuality films and newsreel often depicted events in a similar way, although in moving format.

Visual mediations of current events, was one of the most common genres in early cinema. In old actuality films, reports were made of various arrangements and events, often with a local connection in order to tempt local people.

Other common themes were catastrophes, like the one in Gothenburg in 1908, or the huge earthquake in Messina in Italy a year later.

Obviously violent and sudden deaths produced headlines. They were also popular motives for images in the illustrated press, for exhibitions in wax museums and peep shows with series of stereoscopic pictures as well as in the increasingly popular cinemas.