Curated by Tom Hulit, diving into the history of leather and leatherworking.

From briefcases to baseball gloves, from sandals to saddles, leather has been a material used by people across the world for thousands of years. Long before metalworking or even ceramics, leather was used for clothing, containers and many other items. In what might be the earliest chemical process, ancient people discovered the method to turn the hide of a freshly hunted animal into a useful material.

Innovation and technology have given us many synthetic materials over the past century, but traditional leatherworking is again becoming fashionable. In a world of changing attitudes and increased ecological awareness, people are returning to time-honored crafts. Hand-made long-lasting leather goods are once again becoming popular, but some question the environmental sustainability and ethics of the leather industry. What will become of one of the world’s most common materials?