The Poison Book Project has identified the toxic pigment chrome yellow (lead chromate) in 19th-century cloth-case bookbindings. Lead and chromium were detected using X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) and the compound lead chromate was confirmed using Raman spectroscopy. Preliminary friability testing indicates that chrome yellow remains tightly adhered to the bookcloth and does not offset heavy metals onto the hands. See our general handling tips for 19th-century cloth case bindings here.
Victorian-era bookcloth colored with chrome yellow pigment may range from deep, bright, or olive greens (achieved by mixing chrome yellow with various percentages of Prussian blue) to yellows, oranges, and browns. Smaller percentages of chrome yellow mixed with Prussian blue were used to color chrome green bookcloth throughout the 19th century. Chrome yellow was used in larger quantities to color yellow and orange bookcloths predominantly in the 1880s-1890s, a time period that correlates with more affordable pricing for the pigment than earlier in the century.
Further Reading
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). 2008. “Chromium Toxicity.” U.S. Department of Health Human Services. Accessed July 20, 2021.
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). 2012. “Toxicological profile for Chromium.” Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service.
Glenn, W.M. 1889. “Chrome Yellow Considered as a Poison.” Science 13 (326): 347-349.
Khühn, Hermann, and Mary Curran. 1986. [“Chrome Yellow and Other Chromate Pigments.” In Artists’ Pigments: A Handbook of Their History and Characteristics, vol. 1, Edited by Robert L. Feller, 187-200. Washington: National Gallery of Art.
Otero, Vanessa, Leslie Carlyle, Márcia Vilarigues, and Maria J. Melo. 2011. “Chrome yellow in nineteenth century art: historic reconstruction of an artists’ pigment.” RSC Advances 2: 1798-1805.
US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). 2000. “Chromium Compounds: Hazard Summary.” Accessed July 14, 2021.
Disclaimer
Copyright 2024. This article describes conservation procedures and is meant to be used as exchange of technical information among trained cultural heritage conservators, and the procedures described herein should not be performed by anyone who is not a trained professional. Further, any advice, graphics, images, and information contained in this page is presented for general educational and information purposes, and to increase safety awareness in connection with the storage and handling of aged books that may contain toxic chemicals, such as arsenic. The storage, handling, and other safety tips included in this page are suggestions only and have been collected by the Poison Book Project of The Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum, Inc. after consultation with scientists and other experts in the conservation field. None of the content in this page has been subjected to a formal peer review and is not intended to be medical or other expert advice or services, and should not be used in place of consultation with appropriate professionals. The information contained in this page should not be considered exhaustive, and the user should seek the advice of appropriate professionals.
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