Radium city, documentary film. 102 mins. 1987.
This film tells the story of how women in the early part of the 20th century who were told that the radium they were paid to paint on the numbers of the faces of watches and clocks was of no danger. It ranges far more than from just the production of watch dials, but to the involvement of the US Government and Atomic Energy commission who's interest and experimentation on those suffering the ill effects of radiation poisoning was of huge significance due to advances in nuclear technology at the time. Too eventually the improper demolition of the factory and subsequent contamination of the town it's self. Well worth a watch if a little slow to get going.
No direct youtube links pleaseThis is a subject that not a great deal of people are aware of. That many vintage watches and clocks from the 1920's and 1930's including many highly sought after vintage Panerai models, were made luminous using Radium. With a half like of 1620 years these watches and clocks are still of harm today.
