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[blondebrainpowered]

Early 19th century Mexican wool cape with silver closure.

[blondebrainpowered]

Peacock wallpaper possibly containing arsenic, by Walter Crane

Cut Panel of The Peacock Garden, 1889

Designer: Walter Crane, English, 1845–1915

Printer: Jeffrey & Co., London, England, active 1836 – 1935

Source

It wasn't until the late 1860s that doctors connected illnesses with the presence of luminous green paper on the walls. One of the most common sources of arsenic in wallpaper was a green pigment called Scheele's green. It was used in fabric and paint (even for toys). It was relatively cheap to produce and produced a beautiful colour.

Public awareness about the dangers of Scheele’s green, especially for children, made people seek safer wallpaper options towards the end of the nineteenth century.