"Wally, can you please pass me the asbestos gloves?"

[PrettySquareGal]

I love that episode, when Larry spends the night and Ward cooks up some burnt burgers, distracted by all the mayhem.

My question is, are you aware of certain items that may be hazardous to collect? I know some old china was made with lead. I also know that some radioactive materials were used on old clocks.

What kind of dangers lurk in collecting (besides vintage cooties)?

 

[PrettySquareGal]

Oh, I also learned that Fiestaware is radioactive!

http://www.myantiquemall.com/AQstories/fiesta/Fiesta.html

http://www.orau.org/ptp/collection/consumer%20products/fiesta.htm

 

[Pilgrim]

That's what gives the ladies who collect it that healthy glow.

 

[jamespowers]

Supposedly the lead in lead crystal is also bad for you but the old china and crystal are both fine as long "as you don't use them frequently" is the concensus from most people. I used them both frequently and I only glow at night. I eliminates the need for a night light.

Regards,

J

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Boy, am I glad you asked that question, PrettySquareGal!

My friend David has an amazing collection of antique (circa 1900) absinthe glasses and carafes. In his own words:

"The glassware below was made from pale lime-green uranium glass. In the photo at right, you can see them under ultraviolet light, showing the characteristic flourescence caused by the presence of radioactive compounds (uranium dioxide) in the glass. Because of its mysterious greenish tinge, this type of glassware, first manufactured in the mid 19th century, was particularly appropriate for use with absinthe."

-----

.

 

[PrettySquareGal]

Boy, am I glad you asked that question, PrettySquareGal!

My friend David has an amazing collection of antique (circa 1900) absinthe glasses and carafes. In his own words:

"The glassware below was made from pale lime-green uranium glass. In the photo at right, you can see them under ultraviolet light, showing the characteristic flourescence caused by the presence of radioactive compounds (uranium dioxide) in the glass. Because of its mysterious greenish tinge, this type of glassware, first manufactured in the mid 19th century, was particularly appropriate for use with absinthe."

-----

.

WOW! I looked it up, here's more info:

http://1st.glassman.com/vaselineglass.html

I was not aware of this before. Thanks for posting!

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Live dangerously: collect vaseline/uranium glass!

.

 

[LizzieMaine]

You'd never again knock your water glass off the nightstand while fumbling around in the dark!

 

[PrettySquareGal]

I was thinking it would make a nice gift. Oh my, imagine the look on someone's face. "It's radioactive! Isn't it lovely?"

 

[Baron Kurtz]

I use asbestos gloves almost every day (shhhhh, don't tell the administrators. They - the gloves, for damn sure not the administrators - work better than the modern ones. We keep 'em hidden. Wish we could keep the administrators hidden). So long as ye'r nae stoopit enough tae chew on 'em, ye'll be fine, eh?

Now, when i worked at a grain-drying plant i was exposed to asbestos dust when breaking up and old drying oven roof. Now that was dangerous. Nowt wrong with asbestos, so long as you don't inhale the dust ...

bk

 

[Baron Kurtz]

There was a huge scandal at the Timex factory - i think in Glasgow; don't recall exactly where - where the glowing watch hands/hour markers were painted with radioactive paint. The people painting them would lick the paint brushes to get a fine point (as you do). Massive hotspot of tongue and throat cancer, that neighbourhood ...

bk

 

[jake_fink]

Zuni fetish dolls can be very dangerous - especially if you knock the belt off.

Don't believe me? Ask Karen Black.

 

[Flitcraft]

"Zuni fetish dolls can be very dangerous -

especially if you knock the belt off. "
Amen, Brother!

 

[AtomicBlonde]

aniline dyes

I know for certain that many 19th century items were dyed with potentially dangerous substances, such as arsenic, which were used to make certain shades of green. I have a c.1850's bonnet in a lovely shade of green that was possibly dyed with a copper-arsenic compound. I keep meaning to take a little sample to the chemistry lab here on campus to see, but I havent gotten around to it yet. People actually died or got sick from wearing clothing made from copper-arsenic dyes... I dont know how long you have to wear the stuff, or how often to have to come in contact with it... but just to be safe, I dont handle that particular bonnet much, and when I do I always wear gloves. (as I should with all of my early 19th century items, but sometimes I forget.)

here is an article about "killer wallpaper" painted with aniline dyes.

http://www.popularscience.co.uk/features/feat17.htm

 

[Mike in Seattle]

Oh, I also learned that Fiestaware is radioactive!

Not all Fiestaware, but SOME - namely two colors have minor trace amounts of uranium. Both are pretty rare these days. Ivory costs an arm and a leg if you can find it. You can occasionally find a piece in "radioactive red" for not that outrageous a price. I've got one salad plate in it just because someone invariably ask about it at parties. Of course, they're always sure scarlet, the newer red, has to be the "bad color." Radioactive red's more of a red-orange.