Bound In Human Skin
Below is a MRR and PLR article in category Arts Entertainment -> subcategory Poetry.
Bound in Human Skin: A Macabre Craft
Bookbinding, an art dating back to the 1st century AD, has employed various materials to cover books, with leather and cloth being the most common. However, one of the most unusual and unsettling materials used historically is human skin. This practice, known as anthropodermic bibliopegy, was surprisingly popular during the 18th and 19th centuries, with the skin described as soft like suede, inexpensive, durable, and waterproof.
Historically, medical books were often bound in human skin, typically sourced from unclaimed corpses or executed criminals. In a macabre twist, this was considered an honor to the deceased. Dr. John Stockton Hough, notable for diagnosing Philadelphia's first case of trichinosis, bound four medical volumes in the skin of his deceased patients. Similarly, Dr. Charles Humberd, who studied gigantism, bound a book using the skin of "Perky," an eight-foot-six Ringling Brothers Circus giant.
In some instances, authors or owners themselves donated their skin for bookbinding. One notable example is the 1837 publication "Narrative of the Life of James Allen," a highwayman's deathbed confession. This book was bound in Allen's skin and gifted to John A. Fenno, whom Allen attempted to rob. It now resides in the Boston Athenaeum.
In other cases, executed criminals' skin was used for books documenting their crimes or court proceedings, sometimes given to victims' families. An eerie example is a Quran at the Cleveland Public Library, bound in the skin of its previous owner, an Arab tribal leader.
Many of these human-bound volumes are housed in private collections and prestigious libraries. Surprisingly, places like Harvard University Libraries hold such books, including two at the medical school library. One notable acquisition is a 1605 Spanish law manual purchased for $42.50, inscribed with the haunting message:
"The binding of this book is all that remains of my dear friend Jonas Wright, who was flayed alive by the Wavuma on the Fourth Day of August, 1632."
Additional examples can be found at Brown University, University of Memphis, University of Pennsylvania, and the Clendening Library at the University of Kansas Medical Center.
This unsettling facet of bookbinding history reveals a dark intersection of craft and mortality, leaving behind a legacy both fascinating and grim.
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