Harvard Removes Human Skin Book Binding After Ethical Review

The ethically controversial binding of a 19th-century book at Harvard has been removed, following a comprehensive review of the university's human remains collections.

• Harvard University has removed the human skin binding from a 19th-century French book about the afterlife, titled 'Des Destinées de L’âme', from its Houghton Library collection.
• The book, bound with the skin of a deceased female psychiatric patient without consent, has been in Harvard's collection since the 1930s.
• The decision to remove the binding came after a review highlighted ethical concerns with the book’s origin and subsequent history, including its use in student hazing rituals.
• Harvard is in consultation with French authorities to determine a respectful final disposition for the human remains.
• The removal marks a significant moment in Harvard's ongoing efforts to address ethical issues related to human remains in its collections.

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