Abstract
Radium baths for rheumatism, radium face cream, radium as an ingredient in cleaning products . . . telephone dials, gasoline gauges, and fishing bait illuminated by radium . . . even stuffed toys with eyes aglow from the application of radium. From a 21st-century perspective, these might seem like very bad ideas, but when the chemical element radium was discovered by Marie and Pierre Curie in 1898, it found its way into these and more aspects of daily life. The Nobel Prize–winning discovery was even celebrated in song and dance. The Library of Congress has sheet music, photographs, and historic newspapers articles and advertisements to help students understand the historical context of the musical and theatrical celebrations of this scientific discovery.
Radium Dance Group
In 1904, the musical Piff, Paff, Pouff featured the Radium Dance, starring a troupe of dancers in glowing costumes skipping with illuminated ropes. A contemporary photograph of a Radium Dance Group, available from the Library of Congress at www.loc.gov/item/hec2009004389, shows four smiling women in flowing dresses and dance shoes. The New Enterprise, July 7, 1904, (http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn95047178/1904-07-07/ed-1/seq-6/) describes one version of the Radium Dance: The spectator beholds only . . . myriad points of ghostly light forming the appearance of the flowing raiment of a dancer—merely the gown, without the head or arms of the dancer. The tissue of twinkling stars floats about, circles, sweeps along the floor, or is wafted up until it takes the shape of a great luminous vase. . . . These and other effects are produced by treating the dresses of the dancer . . . with certain salts, which do not really contain radium, but which are, like that substance, obtained from pitchblende.
The April 4, 1904, Indianapolis Journal (http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82015679/1904-04-04/ed-1/seq-7/) published an article indicating that Piff, Paff, Pouff producer F. C. Whitney had purchased the rights for the use of radium on the stage in an apparent attempt to restrict its usage. In spite of Whitney’s purchase of the rights, radium dances continued to be created. Loie Fuller, a noted dancer and designer, recounted in an article (http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn99021999/1909-09-05/ed-1/seq-36/) that she had created her own radium dance and that she had met with Madame Curie to develop phosphorescent salts to be used on her costumes. As the popularity of the glowing dance grew, more and more dancers coated their costumes with the salts. Newspapers throughout the United States highlighted performances of the “Radium Dance.” It was reported that the Curies saw at least one performance and were very interested.
Sheet Music covers for the song “My Radium Girl”
In 1915, the Ziegfeld Follies included the song “My Radium Girl,” composed by Louis Hirsch and Gene Buck. (See the cover featured here and the complete sheet music at www.loc.gov/item/ihas.200004968/). The song celebrated the appeal and beauty of “Radium girl/Radiant pearl / . . . You’re so mysterious that I must love you Vi / olet hue, I’ll / let you take me a/way with you off to Gleam-land, I’ll make it Dream-land/My Radium Girl.”
Radium and the radium dance inspired even more original music. W. Paris Chambers wrote “King Radium,” and William M. Redfield and Jean Schwartz wrote “Radium Dance.” (Listen to “King Radium” at www.loc.gov/jukebox/recordings/detail/id/2374 and “Radium Dance” at www.loc.gov/jukebox/recordings/detail/id/3253.)
The sheet music for “My Radium Girl,” featured in this article, resides in the collections of the Music Division of the Library of Congress. The photograph of a Radium Dance Group shown in this article is also available from the Library of Congress at www.loc.gov/item/hec2009004389.
All these examples serve as reminders that inspiration for song and dance can come from any source!
Newspapers provided commentary and reviews, news reports, and advertisements that highlight some of the trends in musical theater such as the popularity of re-creating the radium dance. You may wish to encourage students to explore trends in musical theater during the 19th and early 20th centuries using the historic American newspapers in Chronicling America, online at http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
Or, perhaps brainstorm a list of historic or current scientific discoveries, allowing students to choose one discovery and write a song in the genre of their choice that celebrates the discovery.
Piff! Paff!! Pouf!!! A Musical Cocktail in Two Acts
The program for the musical play Piff, Paff, Pouff is available at https://www.loc.gov/item/var95-000067/. Students might examine it and then create a program for a play featuring their composition. They might consider creating characters, a story line, and advertisements contemporary to the discovery.