Harvard University recently made a decision to remove a book with human skin binding from the campus library.
Out of a collection of 20 million books found at Houghton Library, Arsène Houssaye’s “Des destinées de l’âme” was allegedly bound in human remains by its previous owner, Dr. Ludovic Bouland, a French physician. Bouland was accused of using the skin of a deceased female patient without consent while working at a hospital.
The book has been on Harvard’s campus since 1934 after being placed on deposit by alum John B. Stetson, Jr. After his death, his widow, Ruby F. Stetson donated the publication to Houghton Library in 1954. It wasn’t until 2014, that a scientific analysis confirmed the book to be bound in human skin.
After recommendations by the Report of the Harvard University Steering Committee on Human Remains in University Museum Collections in 2022, it was decided the binding no longer had a place in the collection, citing the “ethically fraught nature of the book’s origins and subsequent history.”
Houghton took accountability for the oversight, saying, “Stewardship practices failed to meet the level of ethical standards.” They also admitted the book was made available to anyone who requested it and never questioned the reasoning. According to ABC News, a library associate once revealed the book was used to “haze” Houghton student employees years ago by asking them to “retrieve the book without being told it included human remains.”
However, prominent alumni like Paul Needham said there has been a call for years – 10 to be exact – for the binding to be removed. The early modern books scholar revealed he co-wrote an open letter calling for the removal, published as an advertisement in The Harvard Crimson in March 2024. “I first raised the question with the library almost 10 years ago, in June 2014. And I requested they should have the human skin respectfully removed and given a decent burial,” Needham said.
“I think that the open letter is what finally moved them really to take action and make a statement because until yesterday we have not gotten the university to say a single word about binding in almost 10 years.”
With all the facts known, Library associates answered some grueling questions about why the book stayed in Harvard’s possession this long. Anne-Marie Eze, Houghton’s associate librarian and task force chair who spearheaded the efforts, said this process has been going on for years, but they needed confirmation.
She apologized on behalf of the library and promised that the University is “determined to move forward with care.”
“We apologize on behalf of Harvard Library for past failures in our stewardship of the book that further objectified and compromised the dignity of the human being at the center,” Hyry said.
“We are determined to move forward with care, sensitivity, and ethical responsibility and are committed to best practices in the field, including reflection and correcting historical errors.”
While the binding was removed, the book will remain in a secure storage space at the Harvard Library.
