Some of nation's best libraries have books bound in human skin

[emad]

Some of nation's best libraries have books bound in human skin
By M.L. Johnson, Associated Press Writer

PROVIDENCE, R.I. --Brown University's library boasts an unusual anatomy book. Tanned and polished to a smooth golden brown, its cover looks and feels no different from any other fine leather.

A number of prestigious libraries -- including Harvard University's -- have such books in their collections. While the idea of making leather from human skin seems bizarre and cruel today, it was not uncommon in centuries past, said Laura Hartman, a rare book cataloger at the National Library of Medicine in Maryland and author of a paper on the subject.

An article from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch from the late 1800s "suggests that it was common, but it also indicates it wasn't talked about in polite society," Hartman said.

The best libraries then belonged to private collectors. Some were doctors who had access to skin from amputated parts and patients whose bodies were not claimed. They found human leather to be relatively cheap, durable and waterproof, Hartman said.

In other cases, wealthy bibliophiles may have acquired the skin from criminals who were executed, cadavers used in medical schools and people who died in the poor house, said Sam Streit, director of Brown's John Hay Library.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/rhode_island/articles/2006/01/07/some_of_nations_best_libraries_have_books_bound_in_human_skin/

[fudge stripe cookays]

1. It's the Necronomicon!

:scared:



Joinnnnnn ussssssss!!!

[swimboy]

2. No reading aloud allowed!!!

:o

[fudge stripe cookays]

5. No indeed!

I have no desire to be raped by trees, thank you very much!

[malmapus]

12. CLATU VERATA NI*cough cough cough*

Shop smart...shop...S-Mart

[Tummler]

3. Don't let the Chimp find out!

He'll have all the coloring books in his Presidential library bound in human skin. :scared:

[sweetm2475]

4. thank god for the "internets"...

now we can just look anything up, don't have to touch the actual book. YUCK!!:puke:

[Book Lover]

6. There have been several discusisons of this on the bookarts listserv

Tends to happen on Victorian medical books most often, IIRC.

[KittyWampus]

7. Perhaps binding in human skin helps bring characters to life?

[mark11727]

8. Well, that explains the nipples on the dictionary...

:)

[emad]

11. And those curious wavy hairs on the binding?

?

[Atman]

9. The Pillow Book

Fire up a big bone and have your mind blown. Very cool movie!

[William769]

10. This is just gross!

:puke:

[DELUSIONAL]

13. American Indian skin used as reins for Andrew Jackson's horses

and other object were made of American Indian's skin.

I believe that references can be found in the book: "American Holocaust".

Many whites of the era (1800s) and earlier just didn't believe that Indians were human beings -- thus they saw nothing wrong with using tanned Indian skin.