Radium jaw pictures3/2/2024 It could be argued that by then the dangers of radium were becoming clear. Wristwatches gained popularity in the 1920s since they could be carried easily on your person and read at any time. The workers were assured that this was not only the best way to paint the small digits on the wristwatches but totally safe for them to do. They would put a substance that we now know as extremely harmful when ingested between their lips and swallow it after each digit. The workers were taught that the best way to paint these tiny digits was “lip pointing ” in which they would put the tip of the paint brush in between their lips to sharpen it after painting each digit. The process of painting the digits is horrifying to think of now. Their pictures were taken and they were lauded for their hard work. The American Radium Company would reward fast workers. These young women were paid per digit, so if you were fast there was an opportunity to make a lot of money. After the war ended they got to earn a living wage in what they thought was a safe environment. During the war they got to feel like they were helping their country. ![]() Painting radium clocks was an ideal job opportunity for young women, particularly because it was listed as a job for artists and not just as a factory job. Radium was thought to have many health benefits, so it would have been exciting to work with. In order for the clocks to be readable the tiny digits needed to be painted by hand. One could finally have a clock or watch that could be read in the dark! This was extremely helpful for troops in times of war. The substance was also lauded for its luminous quality, which could be mixed into paint. While we now know the full extent of how harmful it is, when radium was first discovered it was thought that drinking it in water or ingesting it in food stuffs had great medical benefits. Until she died, mostly likely from the effects of handling the substance, Marie worked to find ways that radium would help people. It was a new “miracle” substance that had been discovered by Marie Curie and her husband Pierre. During World War One and the 1920s radium was, well, all the rage.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply.AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |