Most folks in book circles have heard about the use of the toxic emerald green (copper acetoarsenite) pigment on 19th-century clothbound books. If you haven't, you can read up on the current state of bibliotoxicology research on the University of Delaware's Poison Book Project website . The topic can be a sticky one for a number of reasons. There are the well-established health risks associated with handling these bindings unknowingly or improperly, and increasing visibility

The first book I ever bought explicitly for its decorated paper, the seed from which this entire collection has grown, was 19.060 , an...