This project examines the key role of visual material in constructing collective memories, with a particular focus on iconic photographs—symbolically charged images that are frequently reproduced, often evoke archetypes, and may even achieve archetypal status themselves. This research aims to understand what determines a photograph’s iconic status and the processes by which this status is achieved. Using a multi-method approach, we focus on (1) the image creators (such as photographers, agencies, and editors) who produce, select, and distribute these images, and (2) the audiences who consume and interpret them, with special attention to the intergenerational aspects of memory formation around iconic images. The study explores thematic cases from social sectors like politics, sports, war, and disasters, employing methods such as participant observation in newsrooms, interviews with image makers, image analysis, and audience research.