Bitten By Witch Fever: Wallpaper & Arsenic in the Ninete

"Bitten By Witch Fever: Wallpaper & Arsenic in the Nineteenth-Century Home The shocking story of a deadly trend in Victorian wallpaper design, illustrated by beautiful and previously unseen arsenic-riddled designs from the British National ArchivesIn Germany, in 1814, Wilhelm Sattler created an extremely toxic arsenic and verdigris compound pigment, Schweinfurt green&8211known also as Paris, Vienna, or emerald green&8211which became an instant favorite amongst designers and manufacturers the world over, thanks to its versatility in creating enduring yellows, vivid greens, and brilliant blues. Most insidiously, the arsenic-laced pigment made its way into intricately patterned, brightly colored wallpapers and from there, as they became increasingly in vogue, into the Victorian home. As its use became widespread, commercial arsenic mines increased production to meet the near-insatiable demand. Not least of which was the UK&8217s largest mining plant, DGC whose owner was William Morris, originator of the British Arts and Crafts movement and arguably the finest "