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1917–1938 · Orange, New Jersey, and Ottawa, Illinois

The Radium Girls

Workplace rights & discrimination

Young women painting luminous watch and instrument dials ingested radium while following workplace instructions. Severe illness led workers to challenge employers who disputed responsibility. Their struggles became an important chapter in occupational health and workers’ access to compensation. The film uses fictionalized characters inspired by that history.

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Content note

Source note: screen portrayals may condense events or use fictional characters. Books and films are identified separately; a companion book is not necessarily the film’s source.

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The Story

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When1917–1938
WhereOrange, New Jersey, and Ottawa, Illinois
In this collection3 resources

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Blogs & Essays

The Journal

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From the journal

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Blogs & essays

1 items
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Outside essays and reading guides reflect their authors’ perspectives. Compare claims with reported and primary sources.

Historical source

The book and film are separate works

Kate Moore explains that the feature film was developed independently of her book. This distinction prevents treating its fictionalized characters as the people documented in her history.

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Books

Read The Story

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Books

1 items

Kate Moore

The Radium Girls

Moore’s nonfiction history and the feature film are separate works about related events; the film is not an adaptation of her book.

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Movies & TV

Documentaries & Adaptations

Movies

1 items
About these sources

Watch links, previews and title listings are identified below. Rentals or subscriptions may be required.

Film / television guide

Radium Girls (2018)

Dramatized portrayal of these events. Film information and availability are provided by the linked source; dialogue and chronology may differ from the historical record.

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TV & documentaries

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Fiction Work · 1 adaptations & inspirations

Fiction Work

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Scripted stories and fictional inspirations. Scenes, characters, and dialogue can differ from the record.

Film / television guide

Radium Girls (2018)

Dramatized portrayal of these events. Film information and availability are provided by the linked source; dialogue and chronology may differ from the historical record.

Search Amazon · paid linkViewing options & film details

Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.

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Podcasts & Audio

Listen & Explore

Podcasts

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Social Media

Videos & Conversations

Social Media

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News & Reading

Reporting, Clippings & Archives

Free & Library Reading

2 sources

Explore free articles, book previews and library options. The label on each item explains what you can access; a catalog entry does not mean the whole book is free.

Open Library · Catalog / Availability

The radium girls by Kate Moore

Bibliographic record for related reading. Check the edition page for previews, lending and other access options; full text has not been confirmed.

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Google Books · Catalog / Availability

The Radium Girls

Related book record. Google may offer selected pages or another edition; full-book access is not confirmed.

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Reading Access Notes

Search reviewed 2026-09-15. Sources searched: Google Books, Internet Archive, Open Library, Library of Congress, Smithsonian Magazine, The Atavist Magazine. Search indexing is incomplete; this is not an exhaustive list of the web. Access can change by edition, country and library membership. Library loans may require sign-in or a wait.

A separate Texas Monthly search was blocked by the publisher’s automated-access rules and could not be verified.

News & reporting

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Newspaper clippings

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Internet Archive

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Court & Files

Explore The Documents

Court records & documents

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About these sources

Documents are labeled by type and scope. Allegations in filings are not findings of guilt. This collection is not the complete case file.

No accessible court document has been verified for this case yet.

New material will appear here after editorial review.

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Roads Traveled

Maps & Locations

Roads Traveled

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Orange, New Jersey, and Ottawa, Illinois. The map provides regional context; individually verified historical places are listed below.

Where this story happened

Orange, New Jersey, and Ottawa, Illinois

Highlighted states show regional context, not exact addresses. Ontario and regions outside the contiguous U.S. are listed by name.

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Boundaries: Natural Earth · public domain

Location research & source notes

This case was added after the September 14 map-source review and has not yet been checked against those sources.

The map shows regional context for this case. No individually sourced historical place is included below.

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Positive Outcome

Laws, Advocacy & Change

Positive Outcome

0 items
About these sources

Documented laws, advocacy and reforms. Listing a change does not claim it is effective or universally supported.

No case-specific reform has been verified for this collection yet.