Description

Immediate dispatch from Somerset. Book in excellent unread/unused condition. See images. Fantastic book.

About the book >.>.> The shocking story of a deadly trend in Victorian wallpaper design illustrated by beautiful and previously unseen arsenic-riddled designs from the British National Archives In Germany in 1814 Wilhelm Sattler created an extremely toxic arsenic and verdigris compound pigment Schweinfurt greenknown also as Paris Vienna or emerald greenwhich 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 UKs largest mining plant DGC whose owner was William Morris originator of the British Arts and Crafts movement and arguably the finest wallpaper designer of his generation. Bitten by Witch Fever (Morriss own phrase to dismiss arsenic- and- wall-paper-related public health concerns in 1885) tells this fatal story of Victorian home d?cor building upon new research conducted especially for this book by the British National Archive on their own samples. Spliced between the sections of text are stunning facsimiles of the wallpapers themselves. (SP)