Shaking up the shelves of history: based on a series of previously unpublished images from media archives, collected by a visual artist, the work explores the mechanisms of visual culture in a mediatized democracy and their effect on the production of collective memory. A multi-layered essay reveals the patterns, idiosyncrasies, textures, and tactility of these images, ultimately inquiring the extent to which archival documents provide us with knowledge. The material is of a diverse nature and intrinsically linked to a broader global context such as the Cold War and international relationships, with essays providing academic reflection and linking the historical images to a broader contemporary context.