Harvard University’s Human Skin-Bound Book
It has been more than a century since the massive halls of Houghton Library in Harvard University have kept a book on one of its shelves which was bound using human skin.
Background
In 1879, Arsene Houssaye’s “Des destinées de l’âme” was published and the volume in question was bound using human skin by French physician Dr. Ludovic Bouland. The book has been part of the Ivy League’s collection of 20 million books since 1934.
Controversy and Removal
The book, which speaks about the soul and life after death, also contains a handwritten note by Bouland justifying the use of human skin. The University recently decided to remove the human skin binding after facing criticism for its unethical origins.
- No consent was obtained to bind the book using human skin.
- The human skin was taken from an unidentified female patient without her consent.
- The removal of the human skin binding was prompted by a review conducted by Houghton Library.
Response and Apology
Harvard University, after facing pressure from scholars and alumni, publicly acknowledged the use of human skin for binding in 2014. The university has since apologized for its past failures in stewardship of the book.
Tom Hyry, Harvard’s associate university librarian for archives, expressed regret for the university’s actions and emphasized the commitment to moving forward with care and ethical responsibility.
The human skin binding has been removed and is currently stored securely at the Harvard Library while discussions are ongoing with relevant authorities to determine a respectful way to lay the remains to rest.
