Comments on: Music Sheet Has Radium Notes for Television Artists http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/05/21/music-sheet-has-radium-notes-for-television-artists/ Yesterday's tomorrow, today. Mon, 01 Dec 2008 22:44:19 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: MKremer http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/05/21/music-sheet-has-radium-notes-for-television-artists/#comment-1055788 MKremer Mon, 26 May 2008 22:23:45 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/?p=4495#comment-1055788 Makes me wonder just how popular it was (in broadcast studios), and how many might have ultimately suffered from radiation exposure diseases (mostly among the staff/musicians constantly handling the sheets day-to-day) starting well after the periods of time involved. Makes me wonder just how popular it was (in broadcast studios), and how many might have ultimately suffered from radiation exposure diseases (mostly among the staff/musicians constantly handling the sheets day-to-day) starting well after the periods of time involved.

]]> By: jayessell http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/05/21/music-sheet-has-radium-notes-for-television-artists/#comment-1055494 jayessell Fri, 23 May 2008 11:28:54 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/?p=4495#comment-1055494 Thanks Blurgle. I mentioned some of that in a previous Radium post. By the way... 50 million a pound in 1930ish dollars. Thanks Blurgle.
I mentioned some of that in a previous Radium post.
By the way… 50 million a pound in 1930ish dollars.

]]> By: Blurgle http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/05/21/music-sheet-has-radium-notes-for-television-artists/#comment-1055466 Blurgle Fri, 23 May 2008 04:45:42 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/?p=4495#comment-1055466 jayessell, you're right about the minuscule amount used, but you're wrong if you're assuming small amount = safe. Radium is dangerous to work with even in infinitesimal amounts, and drawing with it - which often required the user to do something called "lippointing", or using the mouth to moisten the brush so it would keep a point - could result in ingestion of toxic doses of radium. During World War I, watch manufacturers began to paint watch hands and numbers with radium so as to make them readable in dark foxholes and night battlefields. The fad caught on, and by the 1930s almost all watches and even some clocks were painted with radium. Even given the tiny amount of radium in the paint, workers were exposed to so much of it because of lippointing that a huge percentage suffered from bone loss (especially in the jaw) cancers, and miscarriages. Interestingly, by 1931 the danger of drawing with radium was known, but it wasn't until 1935 that companies were forced to be more careful. jayessell, you’re right about the minuscule amount used, but you’re wrong if you’re assuming small amount = safe. Radium is dangerous to work with even in infinitesimal amounts, and drawing with it - which often required the user to do something called “lippointing”, or using the mouth to moisten the brush so it would keep a point - could result in ingestion of toxic doses of radium.

During World War I, watch manufacturers began to paint watch hands and numbers with radium so as to make them readable in dark foxholes and night battlefields. The fad caught on, and by the 1930s almost all watches and even some clocks were painted with radium. Even given the tiny amount of radium in the paint, workers were exposed to so much of it because of lippointing that a huge percentage suffered from bone loss (especially in the jaw) cancers, and miscarriages.

Interestingly, by 1931 the danger of drawing with radium was known, but it wasn’t until 1935 that companies were forced to be more careful.

]]> By: Torgo http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/05/21/music-sheet-has-radium-notes-for-television-artists/#comment-1055460 Torgo Fri, 23 May 2008 01:44:22 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/?p=4495#comment-1055460 This is fascinating. I never heard of this before. It's like a half-step between mechanical television, and fully electronic television. This is fascinating. I never heard of this before. It’s like a half-step between mechanical television, and fully electronic television.

]]> By: jayessell http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/05/21/music-sheet-has-radium-notes-for-television-artists/#comment-1055439 jayessell Thu, 22 May 2008 22:40:39 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/?p=4495#comment-1055439 The quantity of Radium on each page was probably nanoscopic. The stuff was over a million dollars a pound! (Now someone will look it up and tell me how wrong I am.) The quantity of Radium on each page was probably nanoscopic.

The stuff was over a million dollars a pound!

(Now someone will look it up and tell me how wrong I am.)

]]> By: Blurgle http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/05/21/music-sheet-has-radium-notes-for-television-artists/#comment-1055435 Blurgle Thu, 22 May 2008 21:41:08 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/?p=4495#comment-1055435 I wonder if the guy who made the music boards had problems in later life, or perhaps he didn't have to do it for long enough for it to become a health problem. I wonder if the guy who made the music boards had problems in later life, or perhaps he didn’t have to do it for long enough for it to become a health problem.

]]> By: Max http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/05/21/music-sheet-has-radium-notes-for-television-artists/#comment-1055429 Max Thu, 22 May 2008 21:26:35 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/?p=4495#comment-1055429 This sounds like the music manuscripts were created using the same stuff that made watches glow in the dark. It's hard to believe the glow would have been bright enough to make the music legible. This sounds like the music manuscripts were created using the same stuff that made watches glow in the dark. It’s hard to believe the glow would have been bright enough to make the music legible.

]]> By: JMyint http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/05/21/music-sheet-has-radium-notes-for-television-artists/#comment-1055425 JMyint Thu, 22 May 2008 20:50:20 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/?p=4495#comment-1055425 Philo Farnsworth demonstrated the first image dissector September 10, 1928 in San Francisco. He was 21 at the time but he had the original idea when he was 14. All television systems were based on his and Vladimir Zworkin's patents. Zworkin invented the electromagnetic deflection crt in 1929. Prior to these two inventions television as we know it did not exist. There is an article on this site about Farnsworth. Philo Farnsworth demonstrated the first image dissector September 10, 1928 in San Francisco. He was 21 at the time but he had the original idea when he was 14. All television systems were based on his and Vladimir Zworkin’s patents. Zworkin invented the electromagnetic deflection crt in 1929. Prior to these two inventions television as we know it did not exist. There is an article on this site about Farnsworth.

]]> By: cks2008 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/05/21/music-sheet-has-radium-notes-for-television-artists/#comment-1055412 cks2008 Thu, 22 May 2008 16:23:23 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/?p=4495#comment-1055412 I think the late 1920s/early1930s, the all electronic TV system was invented. I believe the 1936 Olympics used electronic cameras. I think the late 1920s/early1930s, the all electronic TV system was invented. I believe the 1936 Olympics used electronic cameras.

]]> By: jayessell http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/05/21/music-sheet-has-radium-notes-for-television-artists/#comment-1055406 jayessell Thu, 22 May 2008 14:33:09 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/?p=4495#comment-1055406 We in the 21st century can't imagine television without a CRT. Now, you don't have to! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DFcYRxFdTI When did the image pickup become all electronic? At first they had to wear clownish makeup due to the weird color sensitivity of the tube. We in the 21st century can’t imagine television without a CRT.
Now, you don’t have to!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DFcYRxFdTI

When did the image pickup become all electronic?
At first they had to wear clownish makeup due to the weird color sensitivity
of the tube.

]]> By: Al Bear http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/05/21/music-sheet-has-radium-notes-for-television-artists/#comment-1055400 Al Bear Thu, 22 May 2008 13:49:59 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/?p=4495#comment-1055400 Beautiful! Beautiful!

]]> By: Anne http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/05/21/music-sheet-has-radium-notes-for-television-artists/#comment-1055392 Anne Thu, 22 May 2008 12:21:55 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/?p=4495#comment-1055392 I'm sure they were in the same room so they could see what was going on and be able to play the right music at the right time. TV screens were, what, tiny things? (5-10 inches in a huge cabinet?) Having them in another room, watching those tiny TVs would have been fairly inefficient, I think. I’m sure they were in the same room so they could see what was going on and be able to play the right music at the right time. TV screens were, what, tiny things? (5-10 inches in a huge cabinet?) Having them in another room, watching those tiny TVs would have been fairly inefficient, I think.

]]> By: Casandro http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/05/21/music-sheet-has-radium-notes-for-television-artists/#comment-1055368 Casandro Thu, 22 May 2008 06:41:17 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/?p=4495#comment-1055368 Ohh, is that a flying spot scanner in the background? Those were commonly used for television in some countries. They were the ones that required total darkness in the studio. However what I wonder is: Why didn't they just place the musicians in another room? Ohh, is that a flying spot scanner in the background? Those were commonly used for television in some countries. They were the ones that required total darkness in the studio.

However what I wonder is: Why didn’t they just place the musicians in another room?

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