Image by Harvard University's Houghton Library
Housed in Harvard University’s Houghton Library, a book titled Des destinees de l’ame, which can be translated as “On The Destiny Of The Soul”, is bound with human skin.
A note in the book stated this fact, which has been recently confirmed by scientists.
“By looking carefully, you [can] easily distinguish the pores of the skin,” said the note, which was written by Ludovic Bouland, a doctor and a friend of the author, Arsene Houssaye.
The skin came from a woman who suffered from mental illness and died of a heart attack. The practice of using skins to bind books is called anthropodermic bibliopegy, in which the skins from criminals or the recently deceased were given to tanners and book binders.
“A book about the human soul deserved to have a human covering.” wrote Bouland.
What do you think—is this cool or creepy?
[via Lost At E Minor]