Several brown, jagged-edged fragments of varying sizes encapsulated in a mylar sleeve

Fragments of the skull of Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792–1822)
Human bone, collected 1822
The Carl H. Pforzheimer Collection of Shelley and His Circle

Fragments of the skull of Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792–1822)

It is unclear whether Mary Shelley knew that her friend Edward John Trelawny (1792–1881) had kept what he claimed were pieces of her husband’s skull. The specimens were believed to have been collected after the cremation ceremony, which Trelawny oversaw on the beach where Percy Shelley’s body was found. In one description of the event, Trelawny reported: “The frontal bone of the skull fell off … the brains literally seethed, bubbled, and boiled as in a cauldron, for a very long time.”

Though she did not attend the cremation, Mary Shelley obtained a keepsake from it that she quietly guarded for the rest of her life: remnants of what Percy Shelley’s friends believed was his heart. It had survived the funeral pyre.

: Carl H. Pforzheimer Collection of Shelley and His Circle

: View record

Not currently on view

The New York Public Library believes that this item is in the public domain under the laws of the United States, but did not make a determination as to its copyright status under the copyright laws of other countries. This item may not be in the public domain under the laws of other countries. Though not required, if you want to credit us as the source, please use the following statement, "From The New York Public Library," and provide a link back to the item on our Digital Collections site. Doing so helps us track how our collection is used and helps justify freely releasing even more content in the future.

Items in The Written Word

View All Items in This Section