Sometimes people take credit when others campaign for a long struggle. In 1888 the matchgirls strike resulted in the ban of white phosphorus used in matches concerning their quaker owners Bryant and May- mates or should that be “friends” of Albright and Wilson. John Wilson- one of the clan, even later went on to be a director of this company for 11 years before his lights went out in 1932- must have been a busy man as an MP also.
There is a great deal of detail contained about phossy jaw in the book “The Shocking history of phosphorus” by John Emsley. He notes that during the 1880’s the salvation army were seen as “troublemakers and activists” trying to bring about change to appalling working conditions that industry poisoned for profit.
The idea that the use of red phosphorus for matches BROUGHT ABOUT THE CHANGE- produced by non other than the same “peace loving” quakers, is a historical distortion of the truth. It is an early example of the PR lies of the chemical industry in that they pioneered the way with a cost based eco friendly alternative material.
The salvation army and the match girls brought about change- not Albright and Wilson as their advert here claims.
As it is, the pamphlet “The manufacture and use of phosphorus and some of its compounds” published by Albright and Wilson on page 20 states of the modern “safety match”
“It is possible that when the match is struck, red phosphorus on the side of the box is transformed to white phosphorus, which then reacts and ignites the match head.”
Reassuring thought this. How safe are “safety matches” really?
So what’s “the link” I here you cry.
If you were a person unfamiliar with the rattlechain story, you would be forgiven for thinking that those nice chaps at Trinity Street had arrived at the idea that they suddenly wanted to “protect” birds at the Rattlechain site.
Sort of leave out the fact at how toxic the white phosphorus was in “small amounts”, but just focus on that word enough times and put it out in a flyer and people might buy it.
Also completely leave out the fact that the “trouble maker and activist” in Emsley’s words who had brought about the real change, had been doing this for years by removing the birds from the problem when they had been proclaiming that there wasn’t one.
History will record how the most contaminated pool in Britain was buried, it will also record the problems that later were associated with this cover up, and it might just record how a light was shone on this remote corner of the black country on a website called “What lies beneath Rattlechain lagoon?”
Tanker drivers used to complain to me that they had no light on the site. They can now see the way.