That has been the case of this black and white photo by H Roger-Viollet of a train accident at the Montparnasse station in Paris on 22 October, 1895 when engine 120-721 failed to stop at the platform, went through a first-floor window and crashed down onto the street.

At the time it was a major disaster but sixty years later the photo was reproduced on millions of posters, usually with a humorous caption, the most popular of which was the short and simple “Oh shit!”.