tumbledry

Jeremy Bentham

The Wikipedia entry about Jeremy Bentham, a 1900s “philosopher and social reformer,” proves that the British have better senses of humor than the Americans:

As requested in [Jeremy Bentham’s] will, his body was preserved and stored in a wooden cabinet, termed his “Auto-icon”. Originally kept by his disciple Dr. Southwood Smith, it was acquired by University College London in 1850. The Auto-Icon is kept on public display at the end of the South Cloisters in the main building of the College. For the 100th and 150th anniversaries of the college, the Auto-Icon was brought to the meeting of the College Council, where he was listed as “present but not voting”. Tradition holds that if the council’s vote on any motion is tied, the auto-icon always breaks the tie by voting in favor of the motion.

The picture of the Auto-Icon, complete with wax head, is amazing.

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