On his personal page, Nilsson shared that his passion for photographing fetuses came to him after a visit to Sabbatsberg Hospital in Stockholm in 1952. To produce the series “Life stories before birth”, Nilsson spent 12 years recording the development process of the fetus in the mother’s womb using macro lenses, endoscopic equipment and scanning electron microscopes. The photo series created a turning point in the field of medical photography and became one of LIFE’s most important reports, besides the assassination of President John F Kennedy and the moon landing. Also in 1965, the photographer published the photo book “A Baby is Born”. The work was a huge success and was released in 20 countries, especially valuable for women who are about to become mothers as well as art enthusiasts. However, the sad thing is that every fetus Nilsson photographed later had to be surgically removed for “many medical reasons”.
Today, the series “Life Stories Before Birth” is still one of the most moving works that the art and science world has ever witnessed. In 2009, Nilsson was awarded the title of Honorary Professor by the Swedish government for his contributions to education. Although the author has never once expressed an opinion on abortion, Nilsson’s photos are frequently used to urge pregnant women to keep their children in their wombs.