The Macabre Discovery in Harvard’s Library: Human Skin Bound Books

The adage ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ is a cliché, but it holds truth. A book’s cover has a story of its own, especially when considering hand-bound books. This essay explores the unsettling discovery of books bound in human skin, a practice known as ‘anthropodermic bibliopegy.’ A French doctor in the late 19th century used this unusual material to bind a book. This wasn’t an isolated case, as researchers have now uncovered 20 similar instances, highlighting a dark chapter in the history of bookbinding. The discovery was made possible by a new technique that can identify human skin in bookbinding materials. This raises questions about the motivations behind this practice and the ethical implications of using human remains for artistic purposes. It serves as a reminder of the intricate and often disturbing history of bookbinding, where even the covers can reveal unsettling truths.