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bananas

(27,509 posts)
Sat Jun 7, 2014, 05:56 AM Jun 2014

Harvard scientists confirm Arsene Houssaye book is bound in human skin

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/harvard-scientists-confirm-arsne-houssaye-book-is-bound-in-human-skin-9493448.html

Harvard scientists confirm Arsène Houssaye book is bound in human skin

Arsène Houssaye’s 'Des destinées de l’ame' is believed to have been bound in the skin of a female mental patient who died of a stroke

Heather Saul
Thursday 05 June 2014

Harvard scientists have confirmed a volume in one of its libraries is “without a doubt” bound in human skin after a series of tests conducted on the binding confirmed the origin of the material.

Scientists and conservators used several different methods to test the binding and are now “99.9 per cent” sure the material covering the book, Arsène Houssaye’s Des destinées de l’ame, is of human origin.

<snip>

According to Heather Cole, Assistant Curator of Modern Books & Manuscripts a note detailing its origin inserted inside the book revealed the human skin used to bind the book was taken from the back of a female mental patient who had died of a stroke.

The note, from Dr. Ludovic Bouland, states: “A book about the human soul deserved to have a human covering: I had kept this piece of human skin taken from the back of a woman."

<snip>


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Harvard scientists confirm Arsene Houssaye book is bound in human skin (Original Post) bananas Jun 2014 OP
In Oregon we had a fellow that died and wanted to be skinned to bind volumes of his poetry. Shrike47 Jun 2014 #1
Fuck me, Lovecraft was right!` Prophet 451 Jun 2014 #2
An interesting article about this type of binding intaglio Jun 2014 #3
"Anthropodermic Bibliopegy" bananas Jun 2014 #4
Cue scary music. blkmusclmachine Jun 2014 #5

Shrike47

(6,913 posts)
1. In Oregon we had a fellow that died and wanted to be skinned to bind volumes of his poetry.
Sat Jun 7, 2014, 06:40 AM
Jun 2014

The state Funeral Board objected and there was litigation about whether he could be skinned. During the litigation, his wife kept him in the family freezer. After awhile, freezer burn made the issue moot, as his skin was no longer suitable for tanning.

This case was one of the highlights of my early days working for the Oregon Department of Justice.

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