The subtitle of this book is A Librarian’s Investigation Into the Science and History of Books Bound in Human Skin. I heard it mentioned on a podcast I listen to and thought it sounded interesting. Macabre? Yes. But I found this book to be very engrossing.
Dark Archives is a compelling and well-researched read about the history of binding books in human skin, known as anthropodermic bibliopegy. The author is a member of a research team called The Anthropodermic Book Project that seeks out and tests alleged books bound in human skin to verify if they actually are bound in human skin. To date, the project has examined 31 books claimed to have anthropodermic bindings, of which 18 have been authenticated as human.
Most of the confirmed books bound in human skin were done by medical doctors, as they often had the most access to cadavers. These 19th-century doctors would bind their most valued books in human skin. While the subject is morbid, the book also explores the history and many rumors about books bound in human skin. Contrary to claimed accounts, the team did not find any books bound from the skin of individuals guillotined during the French Revolution.
What I enjoyed most in this book were the stories behind the individuals whose skin was used to bind the books. I found it fascinating to read about the person and the circumstances surrounding their death and how their skin came to be the cover of a book.
There was also an interesting discussion about ethics in the medical community in the 19th century. At that time, the only way for medical students to learn about the human body was through dissection which led to grave robbing to fulfill the need for corpses. Many of the dead bodies used for dissection were either poor people or murderers. It wasn’t until ethical standards were established that people could donate their bodies to science.
Unfortunately, the team did not find any magic books bound in human skin, as we are led to believe exist from the movie Hocus Pocus. Additionally, there are still unconfirmed books out there that claim to be bound in human skin that the team has not been able to examine and test.
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