Exhibition research display object 18: Uranium glass

Light yellow to bright green uranium glass is produced by adding uranium oxides into glass; the unmistakable colors of uranium glass are named either Anna yellow or Eleonora green. The technique for coloring glass with uranium has been in use since the Romans used it to color mosaic stones. From the 19th century onwards, uranium glass was produced in Bohemian glassworks, and elsewhere, from where it spread throughout Europe and helped shape the aesthetics of the Biedermeier and Rococo eras. Uranium glass continued to be produced as industrial glass production increased, in areas such as pressed glass production.

Due to the increasing demand for uranium in military and energy purposes, the production of uranium glass collapsed. It can be assumed that the decline is not only due to uranium’s needed use for other purposes, but also because the social debate about radioactivity changed. Although uranium glass is harmless from a radiation protection perspective, its fluorescent properties make the radioactivity that is otherwise invisible to the naked eye visible: this makes the glass an important item of the SALT. CLAY. ROCK. research collection. Radioactivity and its associated risks are not normally visible, nor can they be smelled or immediately felt, a fact which understandably fuels fear of radioactivity. On the other hand, the radiant green of uranium glass is a recurring motif of pop culture, where radioactivity is often depicted in neon green color, such as in the US series “The Simpsons.”

During our research trip, we saw a particularly impressive uranium glass collection at the Uranium Mining Museum in Aue-Bad Schlema, where museum director Hermann Meinel was an important contact for us.