Toxic Walls: Why Was Victorian Green Wallpaper So Deadly?

Image: Forefront – Green dress, most likely dyed using arsenic, 1868. Source: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Background – Wallpaper, ca. 1820. Source: RISD Museum. Article by Erin Wright, MA History w/ concentration in Public History & Museum Studies, BA History & Writing. The Collector – December 1, 2024.

In the past there were many products that were detrimental to your health; one of these was wallpaper with a green pigment that was made using the toxic metal arsenic.

The Victorian Era spanned from 1837 to 1901, and during that time green wallpaper became extremely popular as a color choice for homes. The problem was, to get green dye, the toxic metal arsenic was used, since its deadly properties were not known at the time. There were several different dyed green colors that contained arsenic, which, although once widespread, have now been entirely eradicated. […]

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