I can't tell you about the popularity of the image, but the saw-tooth roof was not uncommon for factories in the early 20th c. It is essentially an extendable version of the clerestory roof. The slanted roofed sections ideally faced south, the glass upright sections faced north. In this way, natural light was brought into the building and heat from full sun was not, and even a very large structure could be equipped with many windows overhead. Even after the invention of the filament light bulb, for a long time natural light was cheaper and not as harsh to work under.