Welcome to My Library
The library at Brown University has three unusual volumes in their collection. One is an anatomy book, and the other two are 19th century editions of "The Dance of Death"—all bound in human skin.
Apparently, human leather is durable, waterproof and cheap. The hides came from amputated limbs, medical cadavers, executed criminals and people who died in the poor house.
For future reference, it is ethical to have such books in your collection as long as they are "used respectfully for academic research and not displayed as objects of curiosity."
One private library even has a tome bound in the author's own skin. How cool is that?
posted by Jimmy | 10:16 AM
5 Comments:
Just add salt.......
There's one more thing to do with my corpse when I die.
I think it's safe to say that book binders really had a lot of time in the 19th century.
Do you think the University has the non-sarcastic version of the Warren Report?
Oh man, that's awesome. I want that done too when I die. A volume of my erotic writings bound in my own skin. That'd be hot (to the .01% of the population that's twisted like I am).
What a lovely legacy.
Dave: They do have it, but it's only one volume instead of 26.
Tree: I was about to ask for an autographed copy, but since you're dead and your tanned hide is already on the book, perhaps you wouldn't mind of I snuck into the morgue and put the pen in your hand and helped you out? I guess I'm in the .01%. We should get tattoos (which would later appear on our books).
Post a Comment
<< Home