Here's something just in time for Halloween--anthropodermic books. What kind of books are these, you ask? Simply put, they are books bound in human skin. Yes, you read that right. Actual human skin. Now how and why did such a practice ever start? Well, allow me to explain.
Anthropodermic bibliopegy, as the practice of binding books with human skin is formally called, has been done over centuries. It was rumored to have started in the Middle Ages, but the first reliable accounts of the practice go back to 17th century Europe. Anthropodermic books became more common during the Reign of Terror in France when the skin of those executed was used in book binding (ironically, a copy of the Rights of Man was bound in human skin). In 19th century Great Britain, the skin of hanged criminals was also sometimes used in book binding as an additional punishment (you gotta love those Victorians).
So, how many anthropodermic books are there? The exact number is unknown, but according to The Anthropodermic Book Project, 50 books have been identified as allegedly anthropodermic and 18 have been confirmed as human. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on your opinion), our library does not have any anthropodermic books. If you must see some of these books, however, you can find them at Harvard University, Brown University, and the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, among other libraries in the world.
I can't say that I'm a big touchy-feely person, so handling a book bound with human skin wouldn't be up my alley. I have nothing, though, against leather-bound classics. On second thought, maybe I'll just play it safe and stick to paperbacks.
With safe Halloween wishes from the perch.
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