NPR Interviews the Author of 'The Radium Girls,' a Book on the Young Women Who Painted Watch Dials With Hazardous Luminous Paint

Author Kate Moore recently took to the airwaves to discuss her book The Radium Girls with NPR. Employed by the United States Radium Corporation, the “Radium Girls,” as they were called, were a group of young women who at the turn of the 20th century spent much of their workday painting the dials of wristwatches and clocks with luminous substances. To help refine the detailing design of their work, the ladies were encouraged to place the brushes between their lips to create a fine point. Many of the workers eventually became ill from the harmful effects of the radium paint, which resulted in a large number of them to glow in the dark. Five such workers eventually took matters into their own hands launching a lawsuit against United States Radium, eventually leading to labor safety standards and workers’ rights advances.

Here are some key takeaways from Moore’s chat with NPR.

On the beginnings of illness among the Radium Girls
“When the Radium Girls started to get sick, about five years after they started dial painting, the radium firms were determined that they would not link this insidious disease that was taking so long to show itself — and that was one of the problems the girls had.”

On the lives of the surviving Radium Girls
“Through their willingness to allow scientists to probe their bodies, they have given us a store of knowledge about internal radiation that we simply would not otherwise have had if they weren’t prepared to do that.”

For the full interview, be sure to drop by NPR.