Understanding the Removal of Human Skin Binding from 1880s Book – What You Need to Know

Last Updated on March 29, 2024 by Robert C. Hoopes

Harvard Library Removes Book Bound in Human Skin from 1880s Collection

Harvard University’s prestigious library has made headlines recently after removing a book from its collection that was bound in human skin. The book in question, Arsène Houssaye’s “Des destinées de l’âme,” dates back to the 1880s and has been a part of the university’s collection since 1934.

The decision to remove the book came after a report in 2022 by the Harvard University Steering Committee on the use of human remains in university museum collections. It was discovered that the human skin used to bind the book belonged to a deceased female patient at the hospital where French physician Dr. Ludovic Bouland worked.

The book was donated to the Harvard Library by American diplomat and businessman John B. Stetson, Jr. in 1954. The university confirmed the use of human remains in the book’s binding back in 2014 and has since been working on addressing human remains in its collections as part of a long-term project.

In a statement, Harvard Library has apologized for past failures in the stewardship of the book and is committed to moving forward with care, sensitivity, and ethical responsibility. Bouland, who bound the book in human skin, left a handwritten note inside the book stating that “a book about the human soul deserved to have a human covering.”

The removal of the book has sparked discussions about ethical considerations in preserving historical artifacts and the treatment of human remains in museum collections. Harvard University’s handling of this situation will likely have a lasting impact on how other institutions address similar issues in the future.