The life and work in Sweden was documented in photographic form early on. Round the turn of the century of 1900 mass produced postcards depicted various professional activities in front of a camera, as "The Quarry of Stepstones in Bohuslän", and "Log Drivers of Nässeforsen, Långsele", or "Farming women of Skåne".

Moving pictures, too, soon came to depict workers and labor of the 20th century. There are many films in the database "Reel History" that show different kinds of work. They are sometimes referred to as "industrial films", a genre that became rather common in Sweden during the 1920s. The industrial films were not only documents over working processes but also served as a sort of commercial films for those companies that had ordered them.

Industrialists in Sweden were interested in film media from early on. The Tullberg Film Company was one of the most influential producers of industrial film. Sweden and Swedish Industries (1921-22) was for example one production of industrial film by Tullberg, intended to launch industrial Sweden in the Far East. In this film one can see a young Swedish presenter who was to become one of the greatest stars of the screen - Greta Garbo.