THE GHASTLY HISTORIAN

Mae Keane was one of the last “radium girls” – she worked for Waterbury Clock Company, painting numbers on watch faces with radium paint. The women were taught a technique called “lip pointing” where they put the paintbrush between their lips to keep the tip sharp after painting each number. Due to the amount of radium swallowed each day (approximately 200 watches painted per day, with 12 numbers per watch), many of the women developed numerous health issues, with many resulting in death. Mae, not liking the taste of the radium paint, ended up resigning from her position a few days after being hired. She did experience health issues over the years, including dental problems, migraines, and two bouts of cancer. She has stated in interviews that she couldn’t confirm if her health issues had to do with her ingestion of radium. She passed away at the age of 107 on March 1, 2014.

Images courtesy of the New York Times and Connecticut History
IMAGE LINK (L) / IMAGE LINK (R)

Leave a comment