The on-line exhibition from the Bibliotèque nationale de France Comics Before Comics (La BD avant la BD) presents precious panorama of the comics beginning. The visual travel begins with the ancient illustrated bibles made for Kings and the aristocracy's books, inquires about its style origins, it shows the story of narrative, the page layout procedures and it ends with the use of sound in images - dialogues and onomatopoeia.

The exhibition gives a short vision of the comics pre-history, using great examples, like the Bible of Stephen Harding, Danse macabre, Cantigas de santa Maria, Histoire de la fondation de l'ordre cartusien and Little Sammy Sneeze by Winsor Mac Cay, among the several other examples. For a fast visual panorama try iconography page.