2024-2025 Impact Report_final version

Hidden Poisons in the Stacks: Special Collections Investigates!

This year the library’s Special Collections inspired by the University of Delaware’s Poison Book Project took a closer look at our collections to identify Victorian era books whose bindings might have been made using toxic pigments. These dyes were produced using heavy metal compounds that created vibrantly colored cloth for book covers: red from mercury, blue from lead, yellow from chromium and most toxic of all—emerald green book covers from an arsenic and copper compound. Products made with dangerous arsenic compounds were by far the most popular. Household items, toys, clothing and even medicines were commonly manufactured using arsenic. For example, the arsenic based Paris Green color was in demand for paint and wallpaper that was used extensively in homes throughout Europe and North America. Proximity to this poisonous décor

Diane Maher , Head of Archives, Special Collections, and Digital Initiatives

caused reactions that ranged from mild to severe including headaches, fainting, chronic illnesses and even death. By the early twentieth century, the danger, especially of green dye made with arsenic became known and newer safer dyes took their place. Unfortunately, libraries with nineteenth-century books in their collections had forgotten the danger and were unknowingly harboring poisonous books in their stacks. A chance encounter in 2019 with a nineteenth century book led a conservator at the University of Delaware to discover the lethal toxicity lurking in these attractive bindings. This publicized rediscovery led us to examine the collection of nineteenth century books both in our general and rare book collections. We used a freely available bookmark that provides

a visual guide to arsenic book cloth, as well as the Poison Book Project’s database of known poison book titles as well as a description of likely publications that included imprints from Britain and North America published between 1840 and 1860. While we cannot be certain without having these books undergo chemical analysis using X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, we were able to identify some likely culprits and to quarantine them in our vault. Unlike other heavy metals used in making book cloth, the arsenic dyed book cloth sheds arsenic so nitrile gloves are a necessary precaution when handling them. Handwashing after use is recommended when holding any nineteenth century book that might contain heavy metal dyes in their bindings. The identification of our very own poison books led to a library exhibit, Arsenic and Old Books: Poisons Hiding in Victorian Era Publications featuring some suspicious books from our collection. If you are wondering whether you own a poison book, you can request a bookmark with color swatches from the Poison Book Project. You can search for your book’s title in the growing Arsenical Books Database compiled by the project. Should you discover that you own a poison book, their website also includes tips for storage and handling so you can safely enjoy your vintage book.

Poison Books Display

18 | HELEN K. AND JAMES S. COPLEY LIBRARY