HSE Connect documentary series

Episode 01: The Job That Glowed

A short historical film about the Radium Girls, ordinary work, hidden exposure and the struggle for recognition.

A film by Alen Buhisi · 1:25

In 1920s America, women painted luminous watch dials by hand. Many were taught to keep their brushes fine by shaping the tips with their lips. The paint contained radium, and repeated exposure could carry serious consequences that did not appear immediately.

Historical sources

• The Radium Girls at the National Archives
• New Jersey's Radium Girls and the NIST-trained scientist who came to their aid
• Radium Girls: Living Dead Women

This film uses AI-generated historical reconstruction. The recurring woman is a fictional composite, not a depiction of a named individual's exact life. The episode concerns historical radium dial paint, not modern luminous watches.