A Library Handles a Rare and Deadly Book of Wallpaper Samples (2018)

Book recommendation: Bitten By Witch Fever[0], which covers the subject in a lot more depth. The format of the book is interesting; the chapters are divided by (reproduction) samples of period wallpaper. Unfortunately, those are printed on different size leaves, which means that the text sections are all the same number of pages. To me, the book read more like a series of articles than a cohesive narrative, but it was interesting nonetheless.

Among other things, William Morris, who is today better known for his association with the Arts and Crafts movement (which is, in turn, best known for its furniture styles/designers (Stickley, Greene and Greene, Mission, and many more) and architecture (Gamble House, Riordan Mansion, and many more)) was involved in the production of a large amount of wallpaper containing arsenic-based pigments. He remained something of an arsenic denier, and the book takes its title from some of his comments about people who were arguing against the continued use of arsenic-based pigments[1].

Mentioned in that book, but not one that I've yet read is The Yellow Wallpaper[2], written in the period. The author of Bitten By Witch Fever interprets the protagonist's madness as being caused by arsenic-based pigments in the eponymous wallpaper, though I don't know that that interpretation is explicitly supported by the text. I suppose I'll have to check it out and read it to find out.

[0] https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29082603-bitten-by-witch... [1] https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2388667617?book_show_a... [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Yellow_Wallpaper

An Ex-GF worked at a museum a lot of their collection had been treated with arsenic to prevent decay from mold and insects. She said they were still doing that into the 1970s.

Fortunately they don't handle exhibits items that much. They'd throw the them out except for the problem of some being irreplaceable and no one wants to touch a stuffed bobcat covered in arsenic power.

Lilly Ryan gave a great talk at linux.conf.au 2019 linking arsenic use in wallpapers to computer security: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egi8Lm5W3FY

"The most beautiful things can be the most dangerous."

Indeed, for wallpaper other things too.