Unfortunately, I will ruin your weekend by saying the title is not about music. A research paper published this week by Kim Bell and Robin Canham, from Queen’s University, Ontario, Canada, has revealed that some of the 19th century stereocard mountains contain toxic heavy metals.

They use the X-ray Florescence spectroscopy to analyze cardboard seats from 69 stereoscopic photos in rare Jordan WD books and special collections, which come from between 1852 and 1940. Pigsor, analyzed with common, is a pigment analyzed with a comment, analyzed with a comment. In all yellow card holders were analyzed. Complete paper can be accessed here.

Quantification Studies have not been performed yet, so it’s difference to say exactly how toxic the mounts may be, but there are precauts collectors and institutions can take, such an mandatory protective glove wearing when Afterwards, keeping stereocards in archival sleeves, and certain no licking or ingestting the mounts (you may chortle, but you’d be surprised)! Always search and follow the suggestions from the institution if you access their collections and have problems.

This may not be surprising for those who work with Victoria’s collection as the emerald green color, among others, in the cover of a book found to contain arsenic. You can read about ‘The Poison Book Project’ here, and find more information and suggestions from the University of Delaware about dealing with archive material that contains toxic heavy metals here (Spoiler: Don’t panic, and should not make the collection inaccessible!)

Kim has asked for their results to be distributed widely so that anyone who has a stereocardial affected in their collection can be informed and take the necessary actions. This is the paper again if you also want to share it:

*Impaiting: I’m not sure whether the stereocardial that I shared has a poisonous pigment in their cardboard holder, that’s just a haphazard reason for sharing some of the stereoscopic photos of cats.

Hopefully your weekend is fun, and please don’t eat any stereocards.

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