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On The Record

Poisonous pigments star in new Walters Art exhibit

By Ashley Sterner,
Maureen Harvie
Published December 13, 2024 at 9:43 AM EST
The Walters Art Museum's new exhibit "If Books Could Kill," presents two dozen beautiful but toxic manuscripts.
“Archangel Michael Battling Devils,” 2nd quarter 15th century. Parchment With Ink, paint and gold. Acquired by Henry Walters.
The Walters Art Museum's new exhibit "If Books Could Kill," presents two dozen beautiful but toxic manuscripts.

Before artisans knew of their danger, toxic materials like lead, arsenic, and mercury were used in the creation of illuminated manuscripts.

A new exhibit at the Walters Art Museum titled, "If Books Could Kill", spotlights the hidden dangers of these artifacts and describes the scientific methods used to identify toxic materials.

We speak with Lynley Anne Herbert, the Robert and Nancy Hall Curator of Rare Books and Manuscripts, and conservation scientist Annette S. Ortiz Miranda.

"If Books Could Kill" opens December 18, 2024 and runs through August 5, 2025.

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Ashley Sterner
WYPR's Morning Edition news anchor Ashley Sterner serves up the latest Maryland news and weather every weekday morning, delightfully interspersed with the occasional snarky comment.
See stories by Ashley Sterner
Maureen Harvie
Maureen Harvie is Senior Supervising Producer for On the Record. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and joined WYPR in 2014 as an intern for the newsroom. Whether coordinating live election night coverage, capturing the sounds of a roller derby scrimmage, interviewing veterans, or booking local authors, she is always on the lookout for the next story.
See stories by Maureen Harvie