Lydia Jakobs holds a PhD from the University of Trier, Germany, and a Certificate in International Journalism from Hamline University, St. Paul, USA. She was a member of the Screen1900 research focus at the University of Trier, where she also earned master's degrees in Media Studies, English and Spanish Literature and a Certificate in Gender Studies. She is the editor of the KINtop newsletter for early cinema and currently serves as Research Officer for the Magic Lantern Society of the UK.