Joseph Merrick
Joseph Carey Merrick (5 August 1862 – 11 April 1890) was an Englishman. His face and body were deformed because of an illness. To earn food, he was shown at freak shows. He was called the Elephant Man. He then became famous after he went to live at the London Hospital. Some people who wrote about him wrongly thought he was called John Merrick.
Joseph Merrick | |
|---|---|
 Merrick, c. 1889 | |
| Born | Joseph Carey Merrick 5 August 1862 |
| Died | 11 April 1890 (aged 27) |
| Cause of death | Asphyxia |
| Resting place | Skeleton on display in Royal London Hospital |
| Nationality | British |
| Other names | The Elephant Man John Merrick |
| Citizenship | British |
| Occupation | Circus artist |
| Years active | 1884-1885 |
| Known for | Physical deformities due to suspected Proteus syndrome |
| Height | 5 ft 2 in (157 cm) |
| Parents |
|
| Family | William Arthur (brother) Marion Eliza (Sister) Charles Merrick (uncle) Barnabas Merrick (Grandfather) Sarah Rockley (Grandmother) |
Early life
Merrick was born in Leicester, England in 5 August 1862. He started to become deformed when he was 3. He was also disabled after he hurt his hip. When he was 10, his mother died and his father and stepmother did not want him at home so he left home. When he was 17, he went to live in a workhouse.
Career
In 1884 Merrick wrote to a showman called Sam Torr. Merrick asked Torr to show him as a "freak" exhibition. Torr showed Merrick around the East Midlands, and then Merrick went to London. He stayed in a shop on Whitechapel Road. People would pay to look at him. A surgeon doctor, Frederick Treves, came to see Merrick and took photographs of him. Soon afterwards, Torr's freak shop was closed by the police and Merrick went to Belgium.
In Belgium, Merrick was robbed by his manager and left Brussels alone. He found his way back to London. Frederick Treves took him to the London Hospital where Treves worked. Merrick was allowed to live there for the rest of his life. Rich and famous people of Victorian London came to visit him there.
Death
Merrick died on 11 April 1890, aged 27. He died of either asphyxia (not being able to breathe properly) or a broken neck. He had tried to lie down to go to sleep, but his head was too heavy for him to do that. Today, nobody knows for sure what was wrong with Merrick. Scientists think that he either had an illness called neurofibromatosis type I, one called Proteus syndrome, or both of these illnesses. In 1980, movie director David Lynch made a movie about Merrick. It is called The Elephant Man.
Joseph Merrick Media
Merrick photographed in 1888
Merrick photographed in 1889, the year before his death
The shop on Whitechapel Road where Merrick was exhibited. Today it sells saris.
Merrick wore a cap and hood for public discretion.
Frederick Treves (pictured in 1884) was Merrick's close friend and doctor.
The only surviving letter written by Merrick
Merrick built a card church as a replica of Mainz Cathedral.
References
- Howell, Michael; Ford, Peter (1992), The True History of the Elephant Man (3rd ed.), London: Penguin Books, ISBN 0140165150, OCLC 29668435
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