Kottke.org has a small roundup of some historical examples of pictures standing in for text much the way emoji does today (for some.)
Rebus was a type of puzzle writing, and my favorite example is one Kottke cites from Lewis Carrol:
And let’s not forget Edward Tufte’s consistent pleasure in pointing out Galileo’s use of pictures within his published writing.
It is a rarity nowadays to come across historical visual writing. They are simple and rudimentary in form and yet the message has a big impact. These lay the foundation for self-expression and vivid writing. – Layce, an Aussie essay writer