• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
joe's feed

joe's feed

joe's feed

  • Entertainment (movies and TV)
  • Celebrity
  • Funny & Facts
  • Foodies
  • Pets
  • Lifestyle

The Radium Girls

September 26, 2021 by Shelley Thompson

Today we’re dropping some dark and twisted knowledge on you about none other than the Radium Girls.

We aren’t going to waste another second, so let’s jump right in. During WWI there were factories all over the United States that were producing watches and clocks, and what was special about these watches and clocks was that they were being painted with a material that contained a fair amount of radium, causing them to glow. These factories consisted of predominantly women, unheard of at the time, but some actually received fairly decent pay for their jobs because their hands were small enough for such detailed work. For women to successfully complete these tedious paint jobs, they would often have to lick the tip of their paintbrushes, which meant they were ingesting a small amount of radium each time. Sounds a little dangerous, right? Read on.

The women doing this work became known as ‘ghost girls’ because dust from all the radium they were around day in and day out made them develop a certain glow. Yes, they were literally glowing. Some women would even go so far as to apply the paint to their nails and teeth before leaving work and hitting the dances to give them radiant manicures and smiles to impress potential suitors.

Editorial content

Assured by their managers that radium was harmless, the women pressed on and continued to work their factory job with the dangerous chemical. The women began to suffer from extreme toothaches, painful ulcers, the loss of teeth, and even the deterioration of their jaws; these painful and serious conditions resulted in a number of deaths among the workers despite managers denying the allegations. After years of fighting, often some women fighting from their literal death bed, in 1925 Harrison Martland developed a test that proved what the girls knew to be true, radium was to blame for the number of medical issues and even deaths.

Now, there is a ton more information out there about the Radium Girls, so if we have successfully captured your attention, snag yourself a copy of The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America’s Shining Women by Kate Moore. (get it here!) 

And if you’re a thrift store kind of shopper, perhaps even one that carries around a black light, run your black light over pieces of glass you find that are light green in color, if they glow, then you just found a little piece of history because those dishes contain a small amount of radium! 

Filed Under: Funny & Facts

Primary Sidebar

More to See

8 Ken dolls inspired by celebrities and their mixed reactions after the launch

March 14, 2023 By Krizel

These Funny Pictures Would Make Anyone Laugh And Cringe At The Same Time

May 10, 2010 By Shelley Thompson

Are These Songs Stuck in Your Head? Here Are The Most Memorable Movie Soundtracks

May 11, 2023 By Shelley Thompson

Oh, My Dog! These Pets Look A Lot Like Their Celebrity Owners

May 5, 2023 By Shelley Thompson

Dad Jokes: Both Kids And Adults Will Laugh At These Corny Puns And One-Liners

May 5, 2023 By Shelley Thompson

Are You the Friend Always Late To Their Appointments and Work? These Hilarious Memes Are Made for You

April 28, 2023 By Shelley Thompson

These Hilarious And Wholesome Animals Memes Will Brighten Anyone’s Day

April 28, 2023 By Shelley Thompson

Iconic Hairstyles: These Movie And TV Characters Entered History For Their Looks

April 28, 2023 By Shelley Thompson

Footer

About Us

At Joe’s Feed entertainment is the name of the game. We’re here to share the latest news, viral stories, and interesting facts about our favorite celebrities, movies, TV shows, and books. We’re here to help you take a break from your busy everyday life with funny content from across the web, useless (but fascinating) facts, and top recommendations about food, travel, and entertainment.
  • Terms of Use
  • joesfeed.com Privacy and Cookie Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • Contact Us

Search

Copyright © 2023 · joesfeed.com