Poison Book Project

This page will provide information about the Winterthur Library Poison Book Project, an investigation initiated in April 2019 to identify potentially toxic pigments coloring Victorian-era bookcloth.

General Handling Recommendations for Nineteenth-Century Cloth-Case Bindings

Nearly 40% of the nineteenth-century cloth-case bindings analyzed with XRF for this project contained lead in the bookcloth colorant. No matter what pigments or dyes may be present, it is best practice to wash hands after handling books, especially before eating or drinking.