J. V. Maranto: History's deadliest colors

History's deadliest colors

When radium was first discovered, its luminous green color inspired people to add it into beauty products and jewelry. It wasn't until much later that we realized that radium's harmful effects outweighed its visual benefits. Unfortunately, radium isn't the only pigment that historically seemed harmless or useful but turned out to be deadly. J. V. Maranto details history's deadliest colors. [Directed by Juan M. Urbina, narrated by Susan Zimmerman, music by Camilo Vega].

Throughout history, colors like white, green, and orange dazzled artists and consumers while hiding dangerous secrets. Lead made white paint vibrant but caused illnesses like ‘painter’s colic’ and even blindness. Scheele’s Green and Paris Green, once used in everything from wallpaper to candy, poisoned countless people with arsenic. Even orange dinnerware glazes glowed with radioactivity, exposing families to unseen risks long before science caught up with their dangers.