Bilderreihen

Bilderreihen, also known as picture sequence or picture series, are a form of early visual media, primarily used in the early days of cinema. The term describes a sequence of photographs or images, typically arranged in a strip or panel, presenting a narrative or action.

The art of creating Bilderreihen dates back to the late 18th century, when series of engravings and etchings depicting scenes from literature and everyday life gained popularity. This early form of visual storytelling laid the groundwork for the development of the modern cinema.

In the mid-19th century, the advent of photography allowed for the creation of daguerreotypy and other photographic techniques. These innovations enabled the mass production of images, making it feasible to string them together to form a sequence. Some of the earliest examples of Bilderreihen can be found in newspapers, offering sequential scenes in comics or story illustrations.

The precursor to the modern filmstrip, Bilderreihen involved either static or moving images, or a combination of both. When observed with the aid of a lantern or in sequence under a flickering light, these sequences created the illusion of movement, foreshadowing the technological advancements of later film formats.

Bilderreihen demonstrated a prescient awareness of the unfamiliar juxtaposition between visual descriptive narratives and photographic documentation. From hand-colored and printed images to lithography and ultimately, early standard photographic representations, they paved the way for pre-cinema innovations, drawing the early relationship between illustration and moving picture continuously closer together.