Find out, and learn to recognize toxic constituents in the eye-catching covers of 19th-century books. Take A Safer Look At The Poisonous Colors And Inks Found In Library Books arsenicgreen environnementliterature.com
The Poisonous Book Project
The Poisonous Book Project, a joint research endeavour of Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library and the University of Delaware attempting to create an inventory of books containing toxic materials.
They are not even discussing the content of the books, but about its material, especially the color of their covers. More recently an effort by the Oddy Investigation into objects that risk releasing harmful gases led to two books being taken off the shelves of France’s national library because their green cloth covers indicated that they may contain arsenic.
This fear has its roots in19th century book binding practices. As mass book production became more commune, the need for efficient + less expensive covers was growing so instead of costly leather items paper backs or apparels were used. In order to appeal readers, those cloth covers often had their colors brightened by the addition of a number of eye-catching pigments, including a particular favorite called Scheele green.
The Dangers of Scheele’s Green
Scheele’s green, which was made by the German-Swedish chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele, is a very bright green pigment that was obtained from copper and arsenic. Not only was the dye cheaper to produce, but it was also brighter than the greens produced with copper carbonate and which had been used for more than a century.
Although these lovely shades of green were used expediently on book covers, clothing, candles and wallpaper, Scheele’s green did have its downside: Unfortunately it broke down with time and outgassed toxic arsenic. It was blamed in multiple health claims — from kids claimed to have been poisoned by green candles, to factory employees convulsing and vomiting from the pigment exposure.
These green pigments are even and inflict side effects that extend to stomach cancer that Napoleon died of. It gets its name because Napoleon was so enamored of the hue that he had his St. Helena home painted in it and may have ultimately been killed by it.
Conclusion
Looking for an old book to remind you of this hidden dangers in everyday objects? If we understand the risks involved and take appropriate measures for preservation, we are able to safely handle these pieces of literature without putting our health at risk. Certainly, the steps taken by The Poisonous Book Project to list and identify poisoned books are important in beginning to better understand these hazards — and for those of us with libraries or who otherwise appreciate beautiful or rare books a vital first step in protecting ourselves.
