05/13/2026
âĒïļ I had a rather interesting encounter with radioactive material this week! ðģ
I see and touch all kinds of things in my work for , because I go into private homes and comb through the clients' collected treasures.
Last Friday I was in a closet PACKED with books when I came across a green cover with a map inside. The map showed Europe, Russia and Asia at the height of World War I. Along the sides were photo portraits of the world leaders involved in the conflict (swipe to see those).
I handled the map extensively, marveling at the linen backing that hasn't yellowed at all, and the weird white paint layer that seemed to plasticize the front.
After 20 minutes with the map, I noticed large but faint words on the bottom of the backside: "RADIUM" "FOLDING" and "ENAMEL". A quick search online showed me that many maps were painted with Radium in the 1910s so that they would glow in the dark, and that by handling this, I had released, and breathed in, radioactive particles. ðģâĒïļðģ
We honestly NEVER know what we will find in our line of work! ð Have you ever touched something only to find out later it was poisonous?
