While it may be difficult to imagine (knowing what we know now) that there was ever a point when asbestos was widely used, hindsight is 20\/20 and this \u201cmiracle mineral\u201d was a go-to for many years. Far from just being locked away in things like insulation and other household items rarely seen, there was a time when friable asbestos wasn\u2019t feared and was fairly common. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many people will be surprised to learn that one of the most famous movies in American history includes asbestos playing a prominent role. Let\u2019s take a look closer at the role of asbestos in this film, and how the history of asbestos in the real world is mirrored in many ways by its on-set story. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For movie makers, particularly in an era before modern-day advancements in digital technologies, creativity made all the difference between a box office hit and a total flop. In trying to recreate effects found in the real world, without today\u2019s computer capabilities, producers would look far and wide for options they could use that would be both affordable and realistic enough to convince an audience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the case of the American film classic \u201cIt\u2019s a Wonderful Life,\u201d it was necessary to find a way to make fake snow. And what better way to accomplish this than to use asbestos\u2019 free-floating, delicate flakes? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the time that the film was created, in 1946, it was common to use asbestos in just about everything. This worldwide sensation was a go-to because it was durable, versatile, and inexpensive, and could be used in a multitude of ways. Use inside and outside the entertainment industry continued for many years until it gradually became clear that asbestos was causing untold harm to millions of people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Given this backdrop, it should come as no surprise that asbestos snow<\/a> was commonly used in Hollywood. Visually and texture-wise, it was the perfect match. Not only did asbestos snow play a part in the development of \u201cIt\u2019s a Wonderful Life,\u201d but it was also used in films like \u201cThe Wizard of Oz” and \u201cHoliday Inn.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n The history of how asbestos came to be used as fake snow<\/a> tracks right along with the history of asbestos being used in many other applications. Basically, it was too good not <\/em>to use \u2013 an ideal material that could be adapted to countless different situations. Given that white asbestos not only sported the same color as snow, but it was light and fluffy, it seemed like an easy pick. Also, it got around the fire risk that was posed by other materials like cotton, so it (ironically) seemed like it would be a safer option to use. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Going beyond the movie industry, asbestos was used in plenty of other applications such as fake snow, such as in Santa displays as malls and in residential decorations. While it seems hard to believe, no one knew that asbestos was dangerous in those early days, so it was readily accepted for being incredibly useful and essentially free from any drawbacks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n While asbestos snow was certainly not safe, and it was used in some notable movies of the time, the damage in terms of the health impacts on the cast and crew could have been worse. Fortunately for those people, exposure to asbestos tends to be harmful to human health when it occurs over an extended period of time, such as when someone works in a building that manufactures products using this mineral or lives in an asbestos-ridden home. It\u2019s not only the presence of these fibers that tends to make someone sick, but the duration of time that they\u2019re in close contact with them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So, for most people in Hollywood who may have been exposed to asbestos snow on a movie set, that exposure was relatively short-lived \u2013 unless, of course, they were being constantly featured in wintertime classics. Fortunately, too, other methods of producing fake snow that looked even more realistic and was easier to work with than asbestos were developed over time and this trend faded out rather quickly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The story told in \u201cIt\u2019s a Wonderful Life\u201d is a complex one, and it leaves the viewer with many lessons. Of those lessons, it\u2019s the concept that doing the right thing is more important than greed and financial prosperity that is the one that hits home with most people in the audience. Ironically, this is a lesson that could have, and should, have been learned by the asbestos industry<\/a> much sooner, as such a lesson could have saved countless people from illness and death. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Even as they became increasingly aware of what asbestos was doing to its victims, corporations didn\u2019t want to give up on the profits they were enjoying. In other words, greed outweighed any motivation to do the right thing. Despite knowing that people were being harmed, asbestos companies kept mining the mineral and using it in their products. The profits were too notable to ignore. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Eventually, the law stepped in and started to prohibit the use of asbestos in most products, but it was too late for the millions who had been harmed. Even as steep financial punishments have been levied against many of those companies, true justice can never be achieved in the aftermath of something so tragic. Payments continue to be made to affected individuals and their families, but those payments can only go so far in making up for a life that was permanently impacted by the willful negligence of so many corporations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The real-life story of asbestos is a tragedy in so many ways. And while the harm done by negligent companies leaves little room for a happy ending to the asbestos story, accountability is available in the form of trust funds or lawsuits. An experienced asbestos attorney will ensure those affected get the compensation they deserve. <\/p>\n\n\n\nIt Looked Perfect <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
It Could Have Been Worse <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
An Interesting Parallel <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
In the real world, asbestos was simply too useful and valuable for companies to turn their back on it. <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Seeking Compensation<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n