Penelope’s Bridgerton dress could have been deadly

In the third season of the series Bridgertons We got to see the new Penelope. Tired of her husband’s absence, she decides to spend the money on shopping. the most elegant dresses, very far from the orange and harsh tones that characterize its family. In your new closet blue and green colors predominate, But what stands out most is the dress in which she presents her new image in society. A brand new bright green model that has even her mother and sisters speechless. Luckily, the young woman comes out of the situation unscathed, because the truth is that due to the era in which the story is set, her dress could have been truly dangerous.

Story Bridgertons The action takes place in the early 19th century, during English regency period. It starts in 1811 and ends in 1820, although the series never actually talks about specific years and perhaps the final stories go beyond 1820. 19th century England Parisian green, an emerald-colored dye, was already common in high society clothing and was used in all types of decorations, from dresses to floral hair crowns.

It was brought into fashion in 1864 by Empress Eugenie, who was seen at the Paris opera in a beautiful dress that attracted all the attention of those present. The color was said to be intense and seemed to glow even under the gas light. Soon this tone, which had already been in use for some time, became very famous throughout Europe, causing many deaths along the way. Reason: large quantity arsenic which was used to obtain pigment.

The history of green Paris

Paris greens consisted of a mixture copper and arsenic. This last element has been used as a poison for thousands of years. Both ingestion, skin contact, and even inhalation can cause symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, neuropathy, or skin lesions. It has also been shown to cause a wide range of cancers, including lung cancer when inhaled. A high dose can kill a person quickly, but even low doses are dangerous if maintained for a long time.

This is exactly what happened to fabric flower manufacturers in the 19th century. In 1859, a French doctor named Ange-Gabriel-Maxime Vernoy published a study that analyzed the health status of these workers. Those whose work involved constant contact with the green pigment developed ulcers on the hands and feet, headaches, pallor, anemia and many other symptoms.

The doctor concluded that the reason must be arsenic, but no one took him seriously. Over time, other scientists analyzed the pigment in the clothing and became concerned that the dance dress might contain half its weight in arsenic. And again they were ignored.

The situation was not given any significance even after, in 1861, a 19-year-old girl named Matilda Schorer died in terrible suffering. A girl who worked at a flower factory for some time began having convulsions and vomiting. The whites of his eyes turned green and his life faded as he trembled and foamed at the mouth. An autopsy revealed that he had large amounts of arsenic in his lungs, stomach and liver. However, it was concluded that it was an accident and the working conditions remained the same. In fact, the real boom was still several years away. Parisian green.

From high society clothing to its use as an insecticide

Paris green was not only used in clothing such as Penelope dress Bridgertons. It was also used to decorate book covers and wallpaper for walls. Even many artists included it in their works of art.

Over the years the number poisonings and deaths The association with green Paris has finally forced society to pay attention to what scientists have been warning about for years. Early 20th century Its use in clothing was finally banned. But its use has not stopped. And it was so toxic that it turned out to be an excellent insecticide, so all the bottles that were intended to dye beautiful dresses were used to prevent insects from entering closets or basements.

Does Paris green appear in Bridgertons?

In fact, ensuring that dresses Bridgertons They could be painted Paris green. This is nothing more than a guess. We have seen that this story takes place several decades before the Empress Eugenie made this pigment famous.

However, we have also seen it used for a long time. The only difference is that he wasn’t as famous. One of the dresses Penelope wears this season. Bridgertons It is very similar in tone to Paris green. But, fortunately, this is still fiction, the plot of which does not involve arsenic poisoning. Young Featherington is in no danger, don’t panic.