5th August: The Elephant Man

Joseph Merrick, “The Elephant Man”, was born on 5th August 1862. 10 Elephant Man facts:

1. After leaving school at 13, Joseph did work for a time rolling cigars in a factory but eventually his hands became too deformed for him to do this. He found work as a hawker, or salesman, but wasn't successful as his appearance used to put off potential customers. He lived in a workhouse for four years before writing to showman Sam Torr and asking for work as an exhibit in a travelling show.
2. His association with the London Hospital began while he was an exhibit in a Whitechapel "penny gaff" shop, across the road from the hospital. (The shop is now a sari shop.) Medical students would frequently go and look, and one of them brought "The Elephant Man" to the attention of his superior, Frederick Treves. Treves invited Joseph to the hospital so he could take photographs and investigate his condition, which led, eventually, to the two becoming friends.
3. Although Merrick at one point decided he did not wish to be photographed any more and left London to tour Europe, he was robbed and abandoned by his manager in Belgium. He somehow made his way back to London and was picked up by police who could not understand anything he said. All they could find on him was Treves' business card. Suffering from bronchitis, Merrick could be admitted to the hospital. In time, Treves managed to arrange for permanent rooms for Merrick in the basement of the hospital. The rooms contained a specially constructed bed and no mirrors.
4. As Treves grew used to Merrick's speech, he realised he was not an imbecile as first thought, but highly intelligent and sensitive. Treves would arrange for Merrick to experience things most people took for granted, such as holidays in the country and a trip to the theatre. Merrick had hardly ever met any women in his life, and those he did meet were frightened of him - so Treves arranged for one of his female friends, Leila Maturin, to visit. Having a woman smile at him and shake his hand for the first time was an experience he would never forget. Leila and Merrick remained in contact by letter. Later, he met Princess Alexandra when she came to the hospital with her husband to open a new building. She, too, shook his hand and spent time with him, and sent him a Christmas card each year.
5. Merrick's hobbies were reading and making model buildings out of card. He would sometimes go for walks in the hospital courtyard after dark.
6. Merrick believed that his condition was caused by his mother being frightened by an elephant while she was pregnant with him.
7. Doctors believe he suffered from neurofibromatosis type I, or Proteus syndrome, both congenital conditions. Some believe he may have had both.
8. Joseph Merrick died aged just 27. The cause of death was determined to be asphyxia, caused by a dislocated neck. Treves concluded that, although for most of his life, Merrick slept sitting up, because of the weight of his head, on this occasion he must have decided to try sleeping lying down in an attempt to be normal. His desire to be like other people was literally the death of him.
9. The inquest into his death was held by Wynne Edwin Baxter, who was also famous for conducting the inquests into Jack the Ripper's victims.
10. On stage and screen, the Elephant Man has been portrayed by Philip Anglim, David Bowie and John Hurt.