# Harvard has a book bound in human skin **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 5, 2014, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harvard-has-a-book-bound-in-human-skin/690127 "2014-06-05T16:08:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2014, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harvard-has-a-book-bound-in-human-skin/690127/1 "2014-06-05T16:08:01Z")
I’ve heard about these in Lovecraft, ghost stories and the like, but never a real-world example: [http://www.cnn.com/2014/06/05/us/harvard-book-human-skin/index.html?hpt=hp\_t2](http://www.cnn.com/2014/06/05/us/harvard-book-human-skin/index.html?hpt=hp_t2). At least the skin appears to have been, er, collected post mortem. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2014, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harvard-has-a-book-bound-in-human-skin/690127/2 "2014-06-05T16:32:24Z")
The Boston Athenaeum has one too - bound in the skin of its author. It’s even noted on the [catalog listing](http://catalog.bostonathenaeum.org/vwebv/holdingsInfo?bibId=353244): “Bound by Peter Low in Allen’s skin, treated to look like gray deer skin; bears the cover title “Hic liber Waltonis cute compactus est,” stamped in gold upon a black leather rectangle.” ---
**Author:** ![Snowcarpet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowcarpet/32/257_2.png) [@Snowcarpet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowcarpet)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2014, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harvard-has-a-book-bound-in-human-skin/690127/3 "2014-06-05T16:37:35Z")
I’ve seen the collection of them at the Mutter Museum, most fascinating (in an utterly creepy way.) > **[Mütter Museum Home](https://muttermuseum.org/)** > > The Mütter Museum helps the public appreciate the mysteries and beauty of the human body while understanding the history of diagnosis and treatment of disease. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2014, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harvard-has-a-book-bound-in-human-skin/690127/4 "2014-06-05T17:16:13Z")
> [@Snowcarpet](#): > > I’ve seen the collection of them at the Mutter Museum, most fascinating (in an utterly creepy way.) > [http://muttermuseum.org/](http://muttermuseum.org/) Can’t find any reference to them using their search engine. Little help? ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2014, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harvard-has-a-book-bound-in-human-skin/690127/5 "2014-06-05T17:22:19Z")
Tangentially related: [Cecil’s column on lampshades](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2511/did-the-nazis-make-lampshades-out-of-human-skin) ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2014, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harvard-has-a-book-bound-in-human-skin/690127/6 "2014-06-05T17:41:44Z")
The British Library has at least one that they use in exhibits now and then. The Jewish Museum in London has one in their current holocaust exhibition. It’s pretty grim even though it’s unlit in a cabinet. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2014, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harvard-has-a-book-bound-in-human-skin/690127/7 "2014-06-05T17:53:52Z")
I’ve got the kindle edition. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2014, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harvard-has-a-book-bound-in-human-skin/690127/8 "2014-06-05T18:03:57Z")
I’ve always assumed most old collections have several and just don’t realize it. I mean, it’s not like they’ve got tattoos or anything. ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2014, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harvard-has-a-book-bound-in-human-skin/690127/9 "2014-06-05T18:56:40Z")
They’re probably all books of evil. Just to be safe, I’ll just say the magic words to end the curse. Klaatu Barada N… Necktie… Neckturn… Nickel… It’s an “N” word, it’s definitely an “N” word! Klaatu… Barada… N… [cough] Okay then… that’s it! ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2014, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harvard-has-a-book-bound-in-human-skin/690127/10 "2014-06-05T19:09:43Z")
Human skin has been turned into a lot of stuff, like [wallets](http://weirdnj.com/stories/antoine-leblanc/) and [shoes](http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/14910).