Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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Victorian homes look elegant but some of their most beautiful details were quietly toxic.
In this episode of This House, Ken tours the deadliest decorations of the Victorian era, from arsenic-green wallpaper to lead paint, mercury-made mirrors, asbestos “miracle” insulation, gaslight hazards, and even early radium glow.

Public Domain Photos from: Library of Congress

CC BY 2.0 Photos from: Flickr User: Sam LaRussa
CC BY-SA 3.0 Photos from: Wikipedia User: Clem Rutter (Rochester, Kent), Chris Goulet, Arma95, Autopilot, DIMSFIKAS, Robert M. Lavinsky
CC BY-SA 4.0 Photos from: Wikipedia User: Akela

Assets from: Envato Elements
Music from Epidemic Sound