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Dark Archives
Dark Archives: A Librarian's Investigation into the Science and History of Books Bound in Human Skin | Megan Rosenbloom
A fascinating, terrifying look at the rarest booksbound in human skinand the stories of their creation There are books out there, some shelved unwittingly next to ordinary texts, that are bound in human skin. Would you know one if you held it in your hand? In Dark Archives, Megan Rosenbloom, a medical librarian and a cofounder of the Death Salon, seeks out the historic and scientific truths behind anthropodermic bibliopegy. Dozens of these books still sit on the shelves of the worlds most famous libraries and museums. What are their stories? Dark Archives exhumes their origins and brings to life the doctors, murderers, women, and indigents whose lives are bound together in this rare, scattered, and disquieting collection. It also tells the story of the scientists, curators, and librarians like Rosenbloom?interested in the full complicated histories behind these dark artifacts of nineteenth-century medicine?are developing tests to discover these books and sorting through the ethics of custodianship. A whip-smart and witty writer, Rosenbloom has crafted a narrative that is equal parts detective work, academic intrigue, history, and medical curiosity. Thrilling, captivating, and macabre in all the right ways, Dark Archives encourages us to take another look at the very serious ways in which the powerful have objectified people over time?perfect for fans of Mary Roach, Lindsey Fitzharris, and the art of collecting.
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JoeMo
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Pickpick

This audiobook served as a breath of fresh air compared to the previous book I read. I never thought I‘d say this about a nonfiction piece exploring the history and science of books bound in human skin. The author never took herself too seriously while educating the reader and busting myths associated with the subject matter. She also kept it mercifully short, which I believe helped with keeping my attention!

#bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Hmm, not sure what to say if a book about human-skin-book-binding is lighthearted fare compared to your earlier book 😂 1y
31 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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rachelsbrittain
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Pickpick

If you love creepy nonfiction, then could I interest you in a book about books bound in human skin? A medical librarian digs into the origins, testing, and ethics (and lack of consent) behind these unusual cultural artifacts.

Librarybelle This is on my to read list and keeps calling me from my shelves that I need to read it! 1y
julesG What @Librarybelle said. 1y
LoverOfLearning Spooky.. Definitely added to my list! 1y
Larkken I was recently talking to someone who tested one such book and found it was actually bound in calf leather. Fascinating that some books are so evil/deviant/ whatever that someone would pretend otherwise! I‘m curious now about the rest… (edited) 1y
42 likes1 stack add4 comments
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quietjenn
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Happy #hauntedhollowswap day! Thank you so much for the awesome package, @Laughterhp - I love everything! The monster socks are just the cutest and I'm so excited to dive into these books! And I promise to pace myself with the candy 😉. Thanks also to @wanderinglynn for making it all happen! #hhs

brittanyreads I loved Hoodoo! 3y
Laughterhp Aren‘t the socks just awesome! I wanted to get some for myself after I saw them! I‘m glad you like everything! And I‘m glad the mug made it in 1 piece, I was worried. 3y
Crazeedi What a lovely swap package! 3y
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DinoMom Great package!!! 3y
quietjenn @Laughterhp yep, all good and safe planning to use it tomorrow, whilst wearing monster socks and reading a short story! Thanks so much 🙂 3y
quietjenn @BrittanyReads I've heard great things about it and an looking forward to it! 3y
wanderinglynn Awesome! 🎃🧡 Those socks are fantastic! 🖤 (edited) 3y
LeahBergen Dark Archives is good! And Dark Tales! 👏🏻👏🏻 3y
quietjenn @LeahBergen I'm excited about that one! I remember you reading it, then a girl I work with was talking about it not long after that. 3y
51 likes9 comments
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akaGingerK
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Pickpick

The author really makes all the difference in a book like this. Despite urban legends, the majority of books confirmed to be made from humans were created by 19th c doctors during the rise of clinical distance - the idea that the body on the autopsy table is an object to be studied rather than a human. In the author‘s attempts to identify, respect, and re-humanize the people behind the books, she also provides hope in our capacity for empathy.

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perfectsinner
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#bookmail from one of my best bookish BFFs 💝
Dark Archives by Megan Rosenbloom

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Thndrstd
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Pickpick

Rosenbloom is a rare book & medical librarian who seeks out anthropodermic bibliopegy, i.e., books bound in human skin. There are many reported accounts of books in libraries & private collections. Her team investigates using scientific testing. Most turn out to be false. But there are some that are true (she identifies 17). The book is interesting with many asides about the history, ethics, and science of using human skin to bind books.

32 likes1 stack add
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LeahBergen
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I‘m thoroughly engrossed in my current read, this look into the history of anthropodermic bibliopegy (books bound in human skin).

Highly recommended for those of you with an interest in the history of the book and the book as physical object. 👌

Soubhiville Yes! I thought this was fascinating. 3y
saresmoore Um, what? I did not know that was a thing! 3y
Shmemilina We had one of them at my college library! We‘d always have people walking in asking to see it after they mentioned it on the college tour. 😂 3y
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rubyslippersreads I‘ll pass, thanks. 😳 3y
kspenmoll I had no idea that books were bound with human skin!!!! 3y
DivineDiana This is shocking! 😲😵😱 3y
Cathythoughts Dark archives indeed … 😳 3y
tpixie Wow! What history can tell and teach us! 3y
66 likes1 stack add8 comments
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Tianarose
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I‘m quite certain a fellow litten (don‘t remember who) posted something about the tagged book and ignited my curiosity, so naturally when it came up while checking out a local bookshop I couldn‘t help myself. Along with a couple other interesting finds.

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thestarlesscasea
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That final sentence is such an ominous way to segue into the body (pun somewhat intended) of the book, and I'm here for it. 💀

Also, I'm a sucker for titles that naturally lend themselves to portmanteau...Darkives, anyone? ☺

7 likes2 stack adds
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Jen2
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Pickpick

So interesting!!!!

69 likes2 stack adds
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LostInSpace
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Pickpick

What a strange, interesting and bizarre read.

Totally up my street, full of history, full of weird and wonderful tales of how books bound in human skin came to be and something that could be horrifying could also be a way to immortalise yourself forever.

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Story_Wanderer
Pickpick

Very informative read and a must if you‘re a deathling! There may have been a few slightly dry spots but not enough to make me want to put the book down. Some great history and stories in this book.

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StellaDz
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Pickpick

Sometimes you don‘t know you need to know about something, until you see a random book cover ... this is that book. Books bound in human skin. Who‘d have thought there would be so much history, speculation, and science behind it. It was quite fascinating. While it is certainly a darker topic, this is a wonderfully light and quick read. Well-written, interesting and educational.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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RainyDayReading
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Pickpick

First book of 2021 done and it was great! The information presented was fascinating and it included far more than just the history of books bound in human skin. It discusses aspects of medical history particularly concerning consent, censorship and challenges librarians face when housing these books in their collections, the ethical and moral dilemmas presented by these books, are the human remains or cultural artifacts? 👇🏻

RainyDayReading Insightful, thought provoking, humorous at times and overall a great read. If you enjoy Caitlin Doughty‘s stuff (Will My Cat Eat my Eyeballs) you should definitely check this out! #bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks 4y
TheAromaofBooks Great review!! 4y
RainyDayReading @TheAromaofBooks Thank you! I‘m trying to be better with them but it‘s hard with the text limit 😅 4y
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TheAromaofBooks I know I end up with reviews that are multiple-comments long 😂 I'm way too rambly for this format!! 4y
RainyDayReading @TheAromaofBooks You and me both! It‘s really annoying when you‘re just one letter over the limit 😤 4y
bibliobliss Now that sounds interesting!! ☠️ 4y
RainyDayReading @Readage It was fascinating! 4y
bibliobliss @RainyDayReading I think I'll add it to my TBR 4y
RainyDayReading @Readage I hope you enjoy it when you get to it! 4y
36 likes2 stack adds10 comments
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StellaDz
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Loving this so far! Maybe it should have been obvious but.... don‘t read this while eating?? 😳 #currentlylistening

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StaceyKondla
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Pickpick

Finished reading Dark Archives and it was an excellent fusion of books, history, and science. While the book is about anthropodermic bibliopegy, it does not glamourize or fetishize books bound in human skin. The author takes a close look at how these books came to be, what we can learn from them, and the ethics involved with objects made out of humans. It was highly readable and I highly recommend it. #goodbooks #reading #lovebooksaboutbooks

CaliforniaCay I didn't know this was a thing, and I'm strangely intrigued 🤔 stacked! 4y
67 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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StaceyKondla
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Starting a day of relaxation with coffee and books. I‘m almost finished Dark Archives and hope to make a dent in The Dark Library today.

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SkeletonKey
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Current audiobook. All about books bound in human skin. Very interesting history.

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Conservio
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Finished Dark Archives last night. It‘s about a medical librarian investigating books that are supposedly bound in human skin. She‘s part of a larger project , the Anthropodermic Book Project, and they have found 18 books so far. A lot of them were bound in the 1800s and were for doctors. #nonfiction #librarian #bookaboutbooks

6 likes1 stack add
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StellarDoc
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#FantasticStrangelings book club time! Tonight's guest is Megan Rosenbloom, author of Dark Archives -- a fascinating book!

Soubhiville Oh shoot I forgot about this! Hopefully it‘ll be up on her YouTube and I‘ll watch it tomorrow! 4y
StellarDoc @Soubhiville They said they were going to post it on YouTube, so I'm sure it'll be up soon, as long as the recording went well! 4y
11 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Conservio
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Megan Rosenbloom appeared in the #ologies podcast last month discussing this book and her work with books made from skin. Dr. Daniel Kirby also makes an appearance in the podcast. #death #booksaboutbooks

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StaceyKondla
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I am posting one book per day from my extensive to-be-read collection. No description and providing no reason for wanting to read it, I just do. Some will be old, some will be new. Don‘t judge me - I have a lot of books. Join the fun if you want.
This is day 242 #bookstoread #tbrpile #bookstagram

54 likes1 stack add
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mklong
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Pickpick

Rosenbloom takes us into the darkest corner of rare book collections. She gets into the science behind confirming anthropodermic binding and the historical context of the creation of several of them. Why would anyone create something so gruesome? Or lie about having done so? The reasons are often surprising and often not (ahem, detached white male privilege), but Rosenbloom weaves it all into an unputdownable book.

mklong Completely a blame @leahbergen book! I‘m so glad that you *made* me buy it 4y
mklong @moll This is definitely the weirdest one on your #NewYearWhoDis list! I hesitated to put it on the list because I was afraid you would think I was crazy 😂 4y
Moll @mklong Hahaha @Emilymdxn were going through your list and came across this one...certainly sounds interesting!😂 May actually be one of my picks! 4y
Moll *Emily and I 4y
LeahBergen Ooo, I may have to actually read it soon! 😆 4y
48 likes5 comments
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SassenachTheBookWizard
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Pickpick

This was such a weird and fascinating book with very accessible language despite being very science and medicine focused. Was not expecting all the analysis of obtaining skin and the issues with racism and consent. Solid 5 ⭐

52 likes1 stack add
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SassenachTheBookWizard
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As a librarian, I am too curious to not give this a read

Moonprismpower Ha! I bought this for my library. I hope you like it bc I want to read it. 4y
SassenachTheBookWizard @Moonprismpower it was great! Super interesting 4y
48 likes1 stack add2 comments
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StellarDoc
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This handsome young man and I are doing some reading before bedtime. #CatsOfLitsy #ReadingCompanion #SamuelLCatson

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Linsy
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Pickpick

Thanks for a great #nfn2020! I wasn‘t great at checking in, but I got through a bunch of my non-fiction TBR!! And got inspired to catch up on my documentaries. So many good ones! It definitely cut into my reading time, but in the best of ways. 💕

Lucy_Anywhere I love your index cards - such a neat system! 4y
Linsy Thanks! I got the idea from a book blogger at some point. It helps me keep things straight! 4y
tdrosebud I also l love your index cards. Plus using a habit tracker is such a good idea for something like this. I'm going to try and remember that for next year. 4y
Clwojick I love the habit tracker! 😍 4y
68 likes1 stack add4 comments
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StellarDoc
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Reading whilst waiting for a teleheath visit to begin. #FantasticStrangelings

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ralexist
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Pickpick

Anthropodermic bibliopegy. Certainly not two words that I thought I would ever add to my vocabulary much less understand. But they're two words that will take you down an intriguing and macabre path. Reader this book is not for the faint of heart. It's the study of books bound in human skin. This is as much a study of medical ethics across the years and detective work to pull back the veil of this strange collection, as it is anything else.

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Linsy
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I finally learn what a bookworm is! 📚🐛
#til #nfn2020

GingerAntics It‘s actually a real thing? 4y
Linsy Apparently! There are bugs that eat books, who knew?! 4y
Milara They should better not come near my books! This reminds me of the 'book scare' at the beginning of the 20th century, especially in the US; they were terrified that library books carried germs and contributed to the spread of epidemics. 4y
66 likes3 comments
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Soubhiville
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Pickpick

Everything I‘ve ever wanted to know but didn‘t know I wanted to know about books bound in human skin. Plus a ton of other info about other body preservations done by history‘s doctors, often without consent of the deceased.

This was November‘s #FantasticStrangelings book, chosen for the bookclub by Jenny Lawson. It was my first nonfiction with the group and I enjoyed it.

Also my #doublespin for November. @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Sounds disturbing!!! 4y
LeahBergen Oh, good! I can‘t wait to get to it now. 👍🏻 4y
Linsy This was sooo good!!! 4y
68 likes2 stack adds3 comments
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Soubhiville
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#NovelNovember @Andrew65

I‘ve gotten in a bit of reading in between panels of the Texas Book Festival, which wraps up today.

I‘m spending this morning with Dark Archives- a librarian‘s investigation into the science and history of books bound in human skin. It‘s this month‘s #fantasticstrangelings book.

My goals for the week are to finish The Mothers and Dark Archives and flit in and out of Fool‘s Fate in between.

Andrew65 Good luck 😊👍 4y
43 likes1 comment
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LeahBergen
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Today‘s book mail!

The author, a medical librarian, takes a look at the history of ‘anthropodermic bibliopegy‘ (the practice of binding books in human skin) and forms a team of scientists to test books that are rumoured to be anthropodermic.

How fascinating does this sound?? 😮😮

#BooksAboutBooks

rubyslippersreads 😳😳😳 4y
Soubhiville Yay! I‘m excited to receive my copy soon for this month‘s Fantastic Strangelings Bookclub book! 4y
BookNAround There‘s a recent Ologies podcast episode on this very subject. I haven‘t listened yet because I‘m almost a year behind on my podcasts but I do love this one almost every time. 4y
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readordierachel Whoa. Fascinating. Gorgeous cover too! Hopefully not made of human skin 😬 4y
ValerieAndBooks Fascinating yes but creepy 😳. Can‘t believe that would even be a thing. 4y
ValerieAndBooks And that book on the right isn‘t.... ??!! One more question. Do they do DNA analysis to try to figure out who...? Wow, so many questions. 4y
erzascarletbookgasm I‘ve read an article about something like this. Fascinating indeed! 4y
Cathythoughts Oh creepy 😳... what is this all about?!! Look forward to hearing more ( I think 😬 4y
mklong Well, now that I know it exists, I must read it! 4y
Centique Super creepy - but fascinating too! 4y
LeahBergen @Soubhiville Now THAT sounds like a good book subscription! 4y
LeahBergen @BookNAround Oh, thanks! I‘ll check it out! 4y
LeahBergen @ValerieAndBooks No, the one on the right is calf skin (as far as I can tell!). I‘m assuming they are only running tests to see if the binding is human vs animal but 🤷🏻‍♀️. I‘ll let you know! 4y
LeahBergen @mklong You must. 😆 4y
LeahBergen @Centique It looks to be quite a scientific (not totally salacious) look at the subject. 4y
MemoirsForMe Oh my! 😬 4y
80 likes9 stack adds20 comments
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Nebklvr
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Oh dear

30 likes3 comments