Globe > Europe > United Kingdom > London > Jeremy Bentham's Auto-Icon
Jeremy Bentham's Auto-Icon
The remains of the great moral philosopher reside in a cabinet in London
Category Strange Statues, Mummies
Bentham hoped his corpse might preside over regular meetings of his utilitarian followers
Source www.kirchersociety.org
When the moral philosopher Jeremy Bentham died in 1832, he left a will with specific instructions pertaining to the "disposal and preservation of the several parts of my bodily frame." His skeleton was to be "clad in one of the suits of black occasionally worn by me" and seated upright on a chair, under a placard reading "Auto Icon."
Bentham suggested that his corpse might then be able to preside over regular meetings of his utilitarian followers. For ten years prior to his death, Bentham purportedly carried in his pocket a pair of glass eyes that were to be embedded into his embalmed head. Here, however, Bentham’s plan went awry. His face was grossly disfigured in the process of preserving it, and a substitute wax replacement had to be created.
The real embalmed head was placed on the floor between Bentham’s legs, where it resided until 1975, when it was kidnapped by a group of students demanding £100 for charity. The university paid £10, and the head of the great moral philosopher was returned.
Today the real head is unfortunately not on display because the university decided it was inappropriate to exhibit human remains.
See an error? Know more? Edit this place.
- Hours M-F: 7:30-6
- Website UCL London - Jeremy Bentham Bentham's Preserved Head Bentham's Auto-Icon
- Address Malet Pl, University College London, London,
- Cost Free
The Auto-Icon is located in UCL's South Cloisters.
Comments
-
Anonymous
October 3, 2011
In 1963 I presented a seminar paper on Jeremy Bentham and began my presentation with a black and white photo of his embalmed corpse sitting in a cabinet before the wax facsimile of his head was created. It looked as you would imagine with a few wispy hairs sticking out of his skull. -
Anonymous
October 5, 2009
Ah, yes. I remember finding this in a book when I was about 6. His embalmed head with glass eyes gave me nightmares for a week.
-
Anonymous
July 8, 2009
it has a webpage: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/Bentham-Project/Faqs/auto_icon.htm
-
Anonymous
July 7, 2009
One of my philosophy lecturers studied there for a time. He remembers asking for directions somewhere and was told 'Walk down this corridor and turn left at Bentham.' The instructions didn't make a lot of sense, until he found Bentham and a turn to the left.
-
I remember reading about this years ago.
-
Anonymous
June 17, 2009
My mother went to the Slade school of art in the 60's, where Bentham was displayed at the time. She has a few funny stories of it creeping the hell out of her and other students. Good drawing material I guess :/
-
Anonymous
June 16, 2009
Jesus, that is so unbelievably creepy. Interesting, but skin-crawlingly creepy. Jesus.
-
Anonymous
June 3, 2009
Remind me never to get embalmed.
Post a Comment