In response to Ed Frank's question, I offer the following:
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From: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Human skin binding?
To: "Eric v. d. Luft" <[log in to unmask]>
Last week we stumbled upon an early c17 Spanish treatise --Juan Gutierrez's
Practicarum quaestionum circa leges regias Hispaniae liber II (Madrid : Juan de
la Cuesta, 1605-1606)-- with the following inscription on the last page of
text :
The bynding of this booke is all that remains of my deare frend
Jonas Wright, who was flayed alive by the Wavuma
The College of Physicians of Philadelphia has at least four anthropodermic
bindings, including one from a sailor's skin with a tattoo still visible.
It seems that a 19th century South Jersey doc, Stoughton Hough, would tan
the hides of derelicts in a chamber pot and use the leather for ... well,
where was Clarice Starling when we really needed her, eh?
Eric Luft
SUNY HSC Library, Syracuse
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From: homo obsolescensis <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Human skin binding?
To: "Eric v. d. Luft" <[log in to unmask]>
>Last week we stumbled upon an early c17 Spanish treatise --Juan Gutierrez's
>Practicarum quaestionum circa leges regias Hispaniae liber II (Madrid : Juan de
>
>la Cuesta, 1605-1606)-- with the following inscription on the last page of
>text :
>
> The bynding of this booke is all that remains of my deare frend
> Jonas Wright, who was flayed alive by the Wavuma
>Last week we stumbled upon an early c17 Spanish treatise --Juan Gutierrez's
>Practicarum quaestionum circa leges regias Hispaniae liber II (Madrid : Juan de
>la Cuesta, 1605-1606)--
I think that this is one of the books discussed in Thompson's
pamphlet on anthropodermic bindings,
In footnote 38, he writes
Dr. Eugene H. Wilson, director of the University of Colorado
Libraries, ferretted out another example of human skin
dressed like
parchment, cited as Item 351 in LIst 24 of Paul F. Veith,
4117 Dryades Street, New Orleans 15:"Gutierrez (Ionne),
Practicarum quaestionum circa leges regias hispaniae primae
partis nouae collectionis regiae libri I. et II . . . . cum
duplici indice, altero legum regni, altero materiarum.
Quarto. (Vellum?) (34), 794(1) pp. Madrid, 1606. $42.50."
A manuscript note at the end claims that the binding is the
skin of one John Wright. However, the custodians of the
Harvard University Law Library, which purchased this volume,
have been unable to identify John Wright or to substantiate
the allegation that the vellum is of human origin).
For those that enjoy such things (and who wouldn't?):
AUTHOR: Thompson, Lawrence Sidney, 1916-
TITLE: Legends of the human skin.
IMPRINT: [Ann Arbor? Mich. 1950]
277-287 p. 22 cm.
LOCATION: Green Library Stacks 095.T473
TOPICS: Bookbinding--Materials.
NOTES: Reprinted from Papers of the Michigan Academy of Science, Arts, and
Letters, v. 34, for the year 1948.
Language: English Year: 1948,1950
Item CSUGAAD7785-B (Books) AAD7785 (NOTIS)
and, selected from his citations (and in the order of appearannce in
the text):
Albert Way, "Some Notes on the Tradition of Flaying Inflicted in
Punishment of Sacrilege, the Skin of the Offender Being Affixed to
Church-Doors," _Archaeological Journal_, 5(1848):189-190
G., B.. "Manuscits sur peau humaine," _Intermediare des chercheurs et
curieux_, 2(November 25, 1865): 681
Albert Cim(ochowski], _Le Livre;
historique-fabrication-achat-classement-usage et entretien (Paris:
Imprimerie imperiale, 1867-70l three volumes. ["Cim gives the best
available general account of anthropodermic bibliogegy"]
Cimochowski, "Peau humaine tannee", _Intermediare des chercheurs et
curieux_, 62(August 20, 1910):269-271
"Manuscrits sur peau humaine", _Intermediare des chercheurs et
curieux_, 3(January 10.1866):19
"Les Reliures en peau humaine," _Chronique medicale_, 5(1898):137
"Human Skin Tanned," _Notes and Queries_, Third Series,
9(April 14, 1866):309
Carrington, F. A., "Human Skin Tanned", _Notes and Queries_, Second
Series 2(October 11, 1856)
"Les Tanneries de peau humaine," _Intermediare des chercheurs et
curieux_, 5(November 10,1869):640-641
V. Dufour, "Les Tanneries de peau humaine," _Intermediare des
chercheurs et curieux_ 7(April 10, 1874):179
G., "Human Skin Tanned", _Notes and Queries_,Third Series 8(December
2, 1856): 465
Hackwood, R. W., "Human Skin Tanned", _Notes and Queries_,Third Series,
10(October 27, 1866):341
"Human Skin Tanned", _Notes and Queries_, Second Series, 2(September
27, 1856):252
there are more, but I'll leave them to the curious.
Walter Henry
Stanford University Libraries
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From: "Paul N. Banks" <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Human skin bindings
To: "Eric v. d. Luft" <[log in to unmask]>
Perhaps the most amusingly related anecdote about human skin bindings
is in Dard Hunter's _My Life with Paper._ He tells of a young widow
who commissioned a memorial volume from the Roycrofters when he worked
there, which was bound in her late husband's skin. He later sees a
notice of her remarriage, and wonders if her new husband sees himself
as Volume 2.
Paul N. Banks | Conservation Education Programs
Research Scholar | School of Library Service
[log in to unmask] | 516 Butler Library
212 854-4445 | Columbia University
212 865-1304 | New York NY 10027
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From: homo obsolescensis <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Human skin bindings
To: "Eric v. d. Luft" <[log in to unmask]>
>From: "Paul N. Banks" <[log in to unmask]>
>Perhaps the most amusingly related anecdote about human skin bindings
Can anyone point to an authenticated case of such a binding? (ie by
other than anectdotal evidence). My instinct is
to be extremely skeptical, my principal qualm being that isn't easy
producing a functional leather under the best of circumstances, and
obviously this would be a less than optimal situation for the
tanner/parchment maker to work under: a small, thin skin, and no extras
to practice on.
onward,
Walter Henry
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From: [log in to unmask]
Subject: "Human skin bindings II"
To: "Eric v. d. Luft" <[log in to unmask]>
My apologies to all for yesterday's incomplete message. In the middle of
typing the query, my terminal shut down, not to be resurrectedtil this
morning. Somehow --these things are still mysteries to me-- my message
got sent off to Exlibris anyhow.
I'm more interested in uncovering information relating to the people
mentioned in the inscription in our volume, in the hopes of either
verifying/disproving the facts as stated. Human skin bindings I consider
an abomination; things which --when they happen to be in a collection-- we
have the unfortunate responsibility to preserve.
The complete inscription in our copy of Gutierrez's Practicarum (Madrid, 1605-
1606) is :
"The bynding of this booke is all that remains of my deare frend
who was flayed alive by the Wavuma
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From: Nicholas Pickwoad <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Human skin bindings
X-To: Rare Books and Special Collections Forum
<[log in to unmask]>
To: "Eric v. d. Luft" <[log in to unmask]>
In-Reply-To: Your message of Mon, 9 Mar 1992 19:52:48 PST
The town museum at Bury Saint Edmunds in Suffolk, England, has book
bound in the skin of William (?) Corder, who murdered Maria Martin in
the Red Barn. The same display case also contains one of his ears
which I rather think lends authenticity to the binding, to say nothing
of the pistols and knives with which he did the deed.
Nicholas Pickwoad
Conservation Education Programs
School of Library Service
Columbia University
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Date: 14 Feb 1994 09:10:24 -0500
From: "David L. Gants" <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Personalized Bindings
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Yesterday's Washington Post carried a brief blurb taken from the wire services
that might be of interest to readers of this group:
SPRINGFIELD, Ore.--Donal Russell's last wish was to have his body skinned and
his hide tanned like leather. Over funeral directors' objections, his widow is
asking a judge to help her hohor the request.
Russell, a poet and fly fisherman who ran a fly-tying business called
Russell's
Bug House, died Feb. 3 at age 62. His will, signed Dec. 17, directed that his
body "be skinned from the head down and tanned for the purpose of face binding
volumes of my verse."
I can't help wonder if there is a precedent for preserving one's poetry in
this manner. Let's see, they resulting volumes might be titled "Poems For
The Thin-Skinned," or "Hide and Go Seek," or even (in an English mode) "Ten
Poems for a Tanner."
Dave Gants -- [log in to unmask]
--
<dave2 type="gants" name="[log in to unmask]" n=8049243230>
Department of English at the University of Virginia</dave2>
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From: Mike Shodell <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: RE: Personalized Bindings
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Interesting history of same in chapter entitled 'Religatum de Pelle
Humana' in Lawrence Thompson's Bibliologia Comica
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Date: 14 Feb 1994 14:31:05 -0500
From: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Human Skin Books
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I thought I'd respond to Dave Gants call for precedents
for preserving one's writings in a binding made of
one's own skin. The Boston Athenaeum has such a
volume in its collection.
James Allen--alias George Walton, alia Jonas Pierce,
alias James York, alias Burley Grove was a burglar,
bank robber, horse thief and highwayman when, in
1833 he attacked John Fenno Jr. from Springfield
on the Salem, Massachusetts, Turnpike with the
intent to rob. Fenno resisted his attacker and
was shot, but saved by a suspender buckle. Allen
fled, was caught and sent to prison where he wrote
a boastful autobiographical account of his life
of crime called _The Highwayman_. Admiring Fenno's
bravery he asked that Fenno be given a copy of
his book bound in the author's skin.
On July 17, 1837 upon Allen's death, Massachusetts
General Hospital "accepted his body for anatomical
and pathological studies" and removed enough skin
to provide the covering of his book. Bookbinder
Peter Low, above the Old Corner Book Store treated
skin to look like gray deerskin and edged it with
gold tooling. It is embossed with the Latin
inscription "Hic Liber Waltonis Cute Compactus Est"
(This book by Walton bound in his own skin).
It was donated to the Athenaeum by a descendant of
John Fenno.
Our archives provide the following:
1. Postcard from Margaret L. Hayes, Feb. 20, 1944
from Library of Congress stating that there is
a [unidentified] book in the Rare Book collections
at LC. Another letter from Frederick R. Goff,
Acting Chief, Rare Book Collection, March 9, 1944
states that they have (included in the Vollbehr
purchase in 1930) _Scrutinium Scriptuarum_ of
Paulus de Sancta Maria, believed to have been printed
at Strassburg by Johann Mentelin before 1470. Dr.
Vollbehr's note on a card that accompanied the
gift reads "The old wooden boards were covered
with human skin in the 19th century." Goff states
that they had not been able to verify this.
2. An excerpt from _The Book Fancier_ (London:
Sampson Low, Marston, Searle & Rivington, 1886),
p. 122:
"A Russian poet is said lately to have offered to
the lady of his affections a collection of his
sonnets bound in leather--human leather--which
the poet himself furnished! On falling from his
horse one day he broke his thigh, and being ob-
liged to undergo amputation, he had the skin
carefully tanned and reserved from some purpose
of the kind."
3. A letter from NYPL, 18 Feb. 1944 citing
a very thin article in the Dolphin, no. 4 (Fall
1940), p. 90-92 mentioning several books in libraries,
particularly the "Philadelphia Hospital Library" as
having once belonged to Dr. Stockton-Hough of Trenton,
N.J.
4. Photocopy of an article, "Bookbindings of Human
Skin" by Albert Bouckaert from _Sexology_ (March
1949), p. 480-481 which has an illustration of
the Allen book owned by the Athenaeum and citations
of about five other works.
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Date: 14 Feb 1994 12:07:19 -0800 (PST)
From: Jack Eckert <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Books bound in human skin
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To: ExLibris
From: Jack Eckert, College of Physicians of Philadelphia
Re: Books bound in human skin
There are a few examples of books bound in human skin
here in the Library of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia.
The library of John Stockton Hough (referred to in an earlier
message) was purchased by the College in 1900, and the remains
of the library of Philadelphia General Hospital are also now
here at the College.
An additional citation is: Lawrence S. Thompson, "Books bound
in human skin," American Notes & Queries (1944), v. 4.
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Date: 14 Feb 1994 16:28:57 -0500 (EST)
From: [log in to unmask]
Subject: RE: Human Skin Books
In-reply-to: Message of Mon,
14 Feb 94 14:39:28 EST from <[log in to unmask]>
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I read in the paper over the weekend that some poet/fisherman in
California died recently and stipulated in his will that he wanted
his corpse skinned and used to bind volumes of his poetry. Funeral
directors in the state have sued to stop this and the family is
trying to see that his wishes are met.
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Date: 14 Feb 1994 17:19:13 -0600
From: "Paul N. Banks" <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Human skin
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There is the delightful (?!) story in Dard Hunter's _My Life with Paper_
about the young widow who had the memorial volume to her late husband bound
in his skin.
================================================
Paul N. Banks [log in to unmask]
Preservation & Conservation Studies
Graduate School of Library & Information Science
EDB 564 The University of Texas at Austin
Austin TX 78712 512 471-8287
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Date: 14 Feb 1994 16:57:59 -0500 (EST)
From: "David J. White" <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: RE: Human Skin Books
In-reply-to: <no.id>; from "[log in to unmask]" at Feb 14, 94 4:28 pm
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While we're on the subject, can someone confirm or deny for me something I
was told when I was a student at the University of Akron (Ohio)--that the
Cleveland Public Library owns a copy of the Koran bound in human skin?
The story I was told is similar to the one posted on this list; that this
particular Koran was owned by a devout believer who instructed that when
he died a piece of his skin should be tanned and used to cover the book.
The Special Collections department owns a New Testament bound in the
early 19th century, with a notation from the binder that he bound the book
in the skin of a favorite dog.
David J. White
University of Pennsylvania
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Date: 15 Feb 1994 11:26:23 -0400 (EDT)
From: everett <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: RE: human bindings
In-reply-to: Your message of Tue, 15 Feb 1994 08:54:18 -0500
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A local firm here has a book that has pretty heavy documentation that the
spine label is made from the skin of an African-American. Even gives the
name of the local firm that tanned the skin and the provenance of the skin
itself.
One of our trustees is a dermatologist, and when I discussed how one would
document the nature of the spine label, he said that it might be difficult
but not impossible. He suggested that a pathologist could probably
determine the truth of the matter.
***********************************************************************
Everett C. Wilkie, Jr.
Head Librarian and Crofut Curator
of Rare Books & Manuscripts
The Connecticut Historical Society
1 Elizabeth Street
Hartford, CT 06105 USA
Email: [log in to unmask] Phone: 203-236-5621, x250 Fax: 203-236-2664
Anytime, anywhere number: 0-700-EWILKIE
"If your sweetheart is left-handed, whisper those sweet nothings into
his or her left ear. It's the most sensitive ear"
--The Lefty's Calendar
***********************************************************************
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Date: 15 Feb 1994 09:11:24 -0800
From: Jack Thompson <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: RE: human bindings
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It's pretty simple, really. Examine your skin with a magnifying glass
and then examine the questioned skin. If the follicle patterns match,
its human skin. Follicle patterns are species specific.
Jack C. Thompson
Thompson Conservation Lab
where this sort of exam has been done.
On Tue, 15 Feb 1994, everett wrote:
> A local firm here has a book that has pretty heavy documentation that the
> spine label is made from the skin of an African-American. Even gives the
> name of the local firm that tanned the skin and the provenance of the skin
> itself.
>
> One of our trustees is a dermatologist, and when I discussed how one would
> document the nature of the spine label, he said that it might be difficult
> but not impossible. He suggested that a pathologist could probably
> determine the truth of the matter.
> ***********************************************************************
> Everett C. Wilkie, Jr.
> Head Librarian and Crofut Curator
> of Rare Books & Manuscripts
> The Connecticut Historical Society
> 1 Elizabeth Street
> Hartford, CT 06105 USA
> Email: [log in to unmask] Phone: 203-236-5621, x250 Fax: 203-236-2664
> Anytime, anywhere number: 0-700-EWILKIE
> "If your sweetheart is left-handed, whisper those sweet nothings into
> his or her left ear. It's the most sensitive ear"
> --The Lefty's Calendar
>
> ***********************************************************************
>
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Date: 15 Feb 1994 17:33:56 -0600 (CST)
From: Jon Grennan <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: The truly bizarre
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Since we're on the rather unsavory topic of human skin bindings, I just
couldn't resist mentioning something I came across recently while
cataloging the following:
Smith, Keith A., Structure of the Visual Book, Rev. and expanded ed.
Fairport, NY : Sigma Foundation ; Rochester, NY : Distributed by
K. Smith, 1992.
The author, a creator of artists' books and author of several books on book
design, included a reprint of the following notice (on p. 225) which he called
"Book Number 84" and originally published in 1981.
"When I was a student I was repulsed and attracted by a display at the
Field Museum of a cross-section of a cadaver, sandwiched and sealed between
sheets of glass filled with formaldehyde.
"Upon my death my body should be frozen, sliced vertically with a band
saw into one inch thick sections. Each of the fifteen slices should be
sealed between two pieces of double weight glass, 5'6" x 12". A narrow
metal frame should seal each panel which contains a slice of me, the
remainder of the area of each panel filled with formaldehyde.
"Each of the fifteen sections should be placed in order, hinged one to
the next along the back side. The "book" should be stood in the corner,
slightly opened, in the entrance room to my house, to be renamed the
Keith Smith Memorial Library, chosen over the name the Keith Smith
Living Library."
I guess this would be a piece of posthumous performance art of sorts. But
this whole discussion seems more appropriate for the Halloween season instead
of Valentine's Day....
Jon Grennan
Rare Book Cataloger
Washington University in Saint Louis
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Date: 15 Feb 1994 20:42:12 -0500 (EST)
From: "Louis H. Silverstein" <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: "Not for the thin-skinned"
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As I have been followed the discussion on books bound in human skin with an
occasional chuckle and quite a few grimaces, I have been amazed that no one
has mentioned a title that surely drew many of my generation into the fold of
Rare Books and Special Collections Librarianship. It was published when I was
in my teens and I savored every word of it, thinking "move over Ripley." May I
refer my colleagues to Walter Hart Blumenthal's "Bookmen's Bedlam : an olio of
literary oddities" (New Brunswick, N.J. : Rutgers University Press, 1955)
which contains a whole chapter entitled "Not for the thin-skinned" as well as
bibliographical references on the topic under discussion.
I refrain from futher comments.
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Louis H. Silverstein, Curator
Arts Of The Book Collection, Sterling Memorial Library
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Date: 15 Feb 1994 21:34:42 -0800
From: Jack Thompson <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: RE: human bindings
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Everett,
Not to put too fine a point on it, but there exists the possibility that
one may, with some difidence, exercise color perception to this exercise.
My personal experience concerns Caucasian skin, but I do believe that
should a negroid (not terribly PC here) skin part come under the lens
that I would be able to identify it as human. I do not believe that it
would be possible for me (or anyone else) to identify the tribe;
caucasion or otherwise.
Sick and amusing dialog aside, I trust that your disaster is resolving
itself in a manner consistent with heading out of an evening for a home brew.
Jack C. Thompson
Thompson Conservation Lab
([log in to unmask])
without home brew; but brew pubs are close by.
On Tue, 15 Feb 1994, everett wrote:
> The question put to the good doctor here was not whether the spine label was
> human skin but whether it was human skin from an African-American, as
> opposed to a Caucasian, etc. He allowed as how that question might have
> its difficulties.
>
> To paraphrase Bones: Damn it, Jack, I'm a librarian, not a doctor!
> ***********************************************************************
> Everett C. Wilkie, Jr.
> Head Librarian and Crofut Curator
> of Rare Books & Manuscripts
> The Connecticut Historical Society
> 1 Elizabeth Street
> Hartford, CT 06105 USA
> Email: [log in to unmask] Phone: 203-236-5621, x250 Fax: 203-236-2664
> Anytime, anywhere number: 0-700-EWILKIE
> "If your sweetheart is left-handed, whisper those sweet nothings into
> his or her left ear. It's the most sensitive ear"
> --The Lefty's Calendar
>
> ***********************************************************************
>
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Date: Mon, 29 Jan 1996 06:05:07 -0800
From: Diana Patterson <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Human Skin Bindings back in 1994, I think
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A year or so ago, I think, there was a discussion of Human Skin
Bindings. I saved the messages, archived them, and they are now safely
in storage about 5000 miles away. Can someone remind me of the one sight
with a pretty well varified human skin binding and of the book that deals
with the myths of these things? I tried keywords on the British Library
Catalogue and came up with nothing.
Sorry to bother the whole list with this, but without the
archives....with a poor memory...and very little of my active mind
left, I remain,
Diana Patterson
[log in to unmask]
Contact the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, which has at least four
anthropodermic bindings (including one with a tattoo).
Eric v. d. Luft
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Date: Mon, 29 Jan 1996 06:11:13 -0800
From: "Luft, Eric v. d. $q (Eric von der), $d 1952-" <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Human Skin Bindings back in 1994, I think
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Contact the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, which has at least four
anthropodermic bindings (including one with a tattoo).
Eric v. d. Luft
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Date: Mon, 29 Jan 1996 10:00:06 -0800
From: Donald Farren <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Human Skin as a binding material
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The bibliography of this topic is covered by Brenni in a section on
"Other Materials," #158ff., and by Schmidt-Kuensemueller under
"Einbandkuriositaeten," #7109ff., and to a lesser extent under
"Einbandmaterialien," #7429ff.
I have an archive of the earlier ExLibris thread and a file of other
material. I will share this information with anyone who can satisfy
my curiosity about the nature of their interest in this matter.
<*>-==--==--==--==--==--==--==-<*>-==--==--==--==--==--==--==-<*>
Donald Farren voice 301.951.9479
email [log in to unmask] fax 301.951.9479
4009 Bradley Lane, Chevy Chase, MD 20815
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Date: Tue, 30 Jan 1996 06:48:00 -0800
From: [log in to unmask] (robert stephenson)
Subject: Re: Human Skin Bindings back in 1994, I think
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>A year or so ago, I think, there was a discussion of Human Skin
>Bindings. I saved the messages, archived them, and they are now safely
>in storage about 5000 miles away. Can someone remind me of the one sight
>with a pretty well varified human skin binding and of the book that deals
>with the myths of these things? I tried keywords on the British Library
>Catalogue and came up with nothing.
>Sorry to bother the whole list with this, but without the
>archives....with a poor memory...and very little of my active mind
>left, I remain,
>Diana Patterson
>[log in to unmask]
The Boston Athenaeum (10-1/2 Beacon St, Boston MA 02108, Tel 617-227-0270)
has in its collection and on display a book bound in the skin of the
author!
Robt Stephenson.
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