Ajankuva

Ajankuva is a Finnish term that literally means “time picture.” It refers to a depiction or representation of a moment in time, either as a concrete image or as a figurative portrayal of a situation at a specific point. The word is formed from ajankohta (time, occasion) and kuva (picture).

In photography and journalism, ajankuva describes images that illustrate or document a particular moment or period. Such images aim to convey the look and feel of a specific era or event, providing historical context and aiding processes of archiving and reference. The concept emphasizes capturing the state of affairs as it existed at a defined time.

In archival, historical, and curatorial practices, ajankuva is used to label time-specific materials, helping researchers understand chronology and context. An ajankuva may accompany written records to situate them within a precise moment or development phase, supporting comparative studies across eras.

In information technology and data management, the term is used metaphorically to describe a time-stamped snapshot of data. An ajankuva (or as-of snapshot) represents the state of a dataset at a given moment, useful in temporal databases, auditing, and reporting where historical accuracy matters.

See also: time-stamp, snapshot, archive, timeline, chronology.