The Glowing Bones: The Horrifying True Story of the Radium Girls
In the 1920s, women painting watches with radium began to glow and die. Read the tragic true story of the Radium Girls and their fight for justice
The Glowing Bones: The Horrifying True Story of the Radium Girls By USA 360 | American History & Tragedy I t was 1917. The United States had entered World War I, and men were heading off to fight. Meanwhile, young women in New Jersey and Illinois landed what seemed like the perfect job: painting watch dials. The watches used a special paint called "Undark" that glowed in the dark. The magic ingredient was Radium , a newly discovered element. The pay was great, and the work was artistic. But there was one deadly instruction the girls were given: "Lip, Dip, Paint." The Deadly Technique To make the numbers on the tiny watches sharp, the supervisors told the girls to point their brushes between their lips. They would dip the brush in the radium paint, put it in their mouth to sharpen the tip, and then paint. The girls asked if the radium was dangerous. The managers assured them it was completely safe. In fact, at the time, radium was sold as a miracle cure. People drank ra…