The Poison Book Project

The discovery of a highly toxic, arsenic-based green pigment in the cover of a Victorian-era, cloth-covered book at Winterthur Library launched The Poison Book Project. This ongoing project investigates potentially toxic colorants used in the manufacture of 19th-century bookbinding materials, crowd-sources an inventory of confirmed arsenic green 19th-century books, and explores safer handling and storage methods. How are these books identified? Why were they made? How deadly are they, really? Lead conservator Melissa Tedone will share the project’s research into heavy metals and the historical context behind these beautiful but potentially dangerous volumes.