DEADLY BEAUTY: FASHION, TOXICITY, AND THE PLUME TRADE, 1800–1900 (IN-PERSON)

Deadly Beauty uncovers the hidden hazards behind 19th-century fashion. Elite women’s gowns, ribbons, cosmetics, and feathered hats were created with dangerous substances including arsenic, mercury, lead, chromium salts, and coal-tar dyes. Through vivid historical examples, the presentation reveals how toxic chemicals were used to process feathers, color fabrics, and create cosmetics, endangering both workers and fashionable women. The talk also explores the global plume trade, which contributed to the deaths of more than a billion birds. Finally, Deadly Beauty traces how these dangers helped spark early conservation efforts, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and modern protections for species such as the Canada goose.