The Poisonous Books of the 19th Century
Discover the deadly history of Victorian books laced with arsenic and how they still haunt library shelves today.
About this video
Discover the deadly history of Victorian books laced with arsenic and how they still haunt library shelves today.
Full transcript of The Poisonous Books of the 19th Century
A single touch of this vibrant green book cover could stop your heart. Victorian publishers laced their finest bindings with deadly copper arsenite. As readers turned the pages, toxic green dust settled onto their skin. It slowly poisoned wealthy families from inside their own candlelit parlors. Lethal wallpaper, toxic dresses, and deadly books—all for a brilliant shade of green. Dozens of these lethal volumes still sit on public library shelves today. So the next time you handle an antique book, check your fingertips for green.