august april named incorrectly english man severe exhibited human curiosity named elephant man known london society went live london hospital born leicester began develop years life skin appeared thick developed enlarged lips bony grew forehead arms feet enlarged point childhood fell damaged hip resulting permanent mother died father soon remarried left school age difficulty finding employment rejected father left home late aged entered years contacted named proposed exhibit agreed arranged group men manage named elephant man touring travelled london exhibited penny shop rented norman shop directly street london hospital visited surgeon named invited examined photographed soon visits hospital shop closed police managers sent tour europe belgium robbed road manager abandoned brussels eventually way london unable communicate found police card came took london hospital condition allowed stay hospital remainder life visited daily pair developed close friendship received visits wealthy ladies gentlemen london society including princess wales aged died april official cause death body said died neck believed sleep sitting weight head attempting sleep lying like people exact cause unclear dominant theory 20th century suffered type new theory emerged syndrome proposed suffered combination type syndrome dna tests conducted hair bones proven inconclusive play called elephant man debuted film called elephant man released following year late early starred broadway revival elephant man directed early life family born august lee street leicester wife née son london born moved leicester 1820s 1830s wife born father described agricultural census said form physical disability young woman worked domestic servant leicester marrying driver following year born apparently healthy outward symptoms disorder years life named father given middle carey mother baptist preacher children born april died smallpox july year born january died scarlet fever december aged born september born physical disabilities died writing joseph book elephant man study human dignity states sic born april believed statement book elephant man john joseph confused younger brother pamphlet titled autobiography joseph carey produced accompany exhibition states started display symptoms approximately years age thick skin like elephant colour according article began develop lips age months followed bony forehead skin grew noticeable difference size left right arms appeared feet significantly enlarged family explained symptoms result mary knocked frightened elephant pregnant joseph concept maternal impression emotional experiences pregnant women lasting physical effect children common 19th century britain held belief cause entire life addition point childhood suffered fall damaged left hip injury infected left permanently lame affected physical attended school enjoyed close relationship mother sunday school teacher father worked engine driver cotton factory running business years death youngest son william died moved children live widow children married december employment left school aged usual time home life perfect misery father demonstrated affection ran away times brought father time found work rolling factory years right hand worsened longer required job unemployed spent days wandering streets looking work avoiding greater financial burden family eventually father secured licence enabled earn money selling items shop door door unsuccessful facial rendered speech increasingly prospective customers reacted horror physical appearance refused open doors people began follow curiosity failed money support returning home day severely beaten father left home good homeless streets leicester uncle barber named heard nephew situation sought offered accommodation home continued hawk leicester years efforts earn living met little success eventually drew negative attention members public commissioners withdrew licence came renewal young children provide charles longer afford support nephew late december years old entered residents group segregated age gender housed men march weeks entering signed spent days looking work success found option return time stayed years underwent surgery face mouth grown inches severely speech difficult eat operated leicester large mass removed life curiosity concluded escape world human novelty exhibitions knew leicester music hall comedian proprietor named wrote came visited decided money exhibiting retain novelty travelling exhibit end organised group managers music hall proprietor travelling fair owner august departed start new career named elephant man advertised half man half elephant showed including leicester nottingham moving london winter season contacted acquaintance ran penny shops london east end exhibiting human meeting norman agreed management november travelled london saw dismayed extent fearing appearance horrific successful novelty exhibited shop iron bed curtain drawn afford privacy norman observed asleep morning learned slept sitting legs drawn head resting knees enlarged head heavy allow sleep lying risk waking broken neck norman decorated shop posters created depicting monstrous half man half elephant pamphlet titled autobiography joseph carey created outlining life date biography written provided generally accurate account life contained incorrect date birth life vague born norman gathered audience standing outside shop drawing crowd lead shop explaining elephant man drawing aside curtain allowed visibly horrified observe close describing circumstances leading present condition including mother alleged accident elephant elephant man exhibit moderately successful money primarily sales autobiographical pamphlet able share profits aside hoping earn day buy home shop directly road london hospital excellent location medical students doctors visited shop curious visitor young house surgeon named like colleagues intrigued elephant man told senior colleague met november private viewing norman opened shop day later recalled specimen humanity seen time met degraded version human lone figure displayed viewing lasted minutes returned work later day sent shop ask willing come hospital examination norman agreed enable travel short distance drawing attention wore costume consisting black brown cap sack covered face rode cab hired hospital examined observing shy confused little frightened evidently point assumed elephant man measured head large size inches right wrist inches fingers inches noted skin covered largest unpleasant smell tissue appeared weakened caused skin areas hung away body bone right arm legs large skull despite surgery mouth speech remained barely left arm hand large deformed normal apart hip concluded appeared good general health norman later recalled went hospital examination times meetings gave calling card visits photographs taken provided set copies later added autobiographical pamphlet december presented meeting eventually told norman longer wanted examined hospital according norman said stripped naked felt like animal cattle market time victorian britain tastes changing regard freak exhibitions like elephant man shows like norman cause public concern grounds disruption caused crowds gathering outside long examination police closed norman shop leicester managers withdrew norman care went road travelling fair befriended performers occasion defended public harassment europe public enthusiasm freak shows human continued police increasingly closing shows remained spectacle viewers grew nervous negative attention elephant man drew local authorities group managers decided tour hope authorities management assumed unknown man possibly named ferrari left continent elephant man successful britain similar action taken authorities jurisdictions brussels deserted new manager stole equivalent savings abandoned way train attempted board ferry dover refused passage travelled antwerp able board ship bound essex travelled train london arrived liverpool street station arrived liverpool street station june safely country eligible enter london night accepted permanent resident leicester miles away approached strangers help speech appearance drew crowd curious policeman helped waiting room corner exhausted unable understood identifying possession card police contacted went station took cab london hospital admitted washed fed bed small isolation room hospital attic admitted hospital time conduct thorough examination discovered physical condition deteriorated previous years crippled suspected suffered heart condition years left live general health improved months care hospital staff nurses initially upset appearance overcame cared problem unpleasant frequent bathing gradually developed understanding speech new set photographs taken question long term care addressed chairman hospital committee supported decision admit november long term plans needed equipped staffed provide care clearly contacted institutions hospitals suited caring chronic cases accept wrote letter times printed december outlining case asking readers suggestions public response letters donations significant situation covered financial backing donors able convincing case committee keeping hospital decided allowed stay remainder life moved attic rooms basement adjacent small courtyard rooms adapted furnished suit specially constructed bed instruction mirrors settled new life london hospital visited daily spent couple hours sunday found understood speech delighted carry long conversations doctor built friendly relationship completely told child impression mother picture carried abandoned baby reluctant talk exhibition days expressed gratitude managers long realise contrary initial impressions impaired observed sensitive showed emotions easily times bored lonely demonstrated signs depression spent entire adult life segregated women exhibit women met disgusted frightened appearance opinions women derived memories mother read books decided like introduced woman help feel normal doctor arranged friend named young pretty widow visit agreed fair warning appearance went rooms introduction meeting short quickly overcome emotion later told woman smile shake hand kept contact letter written gift book pair birds surviving letter written experience meeting woman brief new sense self confidence met women life hospital appeared taken believed hope live institution blind meet woman wanted know real world questioned number topics day expressed desire inside considered real house obliged taking visit street meet wife hospital filled days reading constructing models buildings card entertained visits house rose day afternoon leave rooms walk small adjacent courtyard dark result letters times case attracted notice london high society person took keen interest actress probably met person responsible raising funds public sympathy sent photographs employed basket rooms teach craft ladies gentlemen high society visit bringing gifts photographs books letters hand gifts card models enjoyed visits confident people passed windows young man son engineer responsible modifying rooms spent time playing violin occasionally grew bold leave small living quarters explore hospital discovered quarters nurses feared patients new buildings completed hospital prince princess wales came open officially princess wished meet elephant man tour hospital royal party went rooms introduction princess shook hand sat experience left gave signed photograph prized possession sent christmas card year occasion able fulfill long held desire visit theatre help arranged attend christmas theatre royal sat nurses concealed private box according spectacle left spoken took weeks following talked story real years occasions left hospital london holiday spending weeks time countryside elaborate arrangements allowed board train unseen entire carriage travelled stay hall estate stayed cottage spent days walking estate woods collecting wild flowers befriended young farm later recalled interesting educated man called supreme holiday life fact trips condition gradually deteriorated years london hospital required great deal care nursing staff spent time bed sitting quarters diminishing energy facial continued grow head enlarged died april age clock afternoon house surgeon visited found lying dead bed body formally identified uncle held april come notoriety conducting murders death ruled accidental certified cause death caused weight head lay performed autopsy body said died neck knowing slept sitting upright necessity came conclusion experiment attempting sleep lying like people body took plaster casts head limbs took skin samples later lost second world war mounted skeleton remains collection royal london hospital skeleton public display small museum dedicated life housing personal effects medical condition days novelty exhibit condition source curiosity medical professionals appearance meeting drew interest doctors present answers attention hoped case received brief mention declined mention months later brought case meeting second time shop closed elephant man moved photographs taken examinations doctors present meeting authority skin diseases hearing description viewing photographs proposed condition combination unnamed bone caused changes nervous system wrote case book diseases skin description diagnosis treatment wrote article disease known type gave example disease german described symptoms genetic disorder include nervous tissue bones small skin characteristic presence light brown skin called café spots observed body type accepted diagnosis 20th century suggestions included syndrome disease article forward theory suffered syndrome disorder identified cited lack reported café spots absence proof suffered type syndrome affects tissue nerves sporadic disorder genetically transmitted disease said showed following signs syndrome large skull long bones skin tissues particularly hands feet including unspecified masses letter biologist june british teacher chartered biologist speculated suffered combination type syndrome hypothesis reported correspondent possibility conditions formed basis documentary film entitled curse elephant man produced research film led bbc appeal trace maternal family line response appeal leicester resident named discovered granddaughter uncle research team took dna samples unsuccessful attempt condition filmmakers commissioned tests dna extracted hair bone results tests proved inconclusive precise cause medical condition remains unknown legacy published volume entitled elephant man detailed knew life personal interactions account source known book completely early life details consequently mysterious error earlier journal articles book insisted calling reason unclear clearly signed joseph examples remain manuscript elephant man began account writing joseph crossed replaced john reason error persisted 20th century later biographers based work book continued error depiction exhibited cruel drunk exploited charge letter world fair newspaper later memoirs norman denied characterisation said provided attractions way earning living london hospital display control viewed according author spectacle freak shows modern british culture norman view gives insight victorian freak function means survival poor people attitude medical professionals time norman memoirs understood narrative reflect personal professional cater demands expectations different audiences published elephant man study human dignity drew book explored character reprinted account alongside letter times report pointed inconsistencies accounts disputed version events noted example claimed knew mother appearance refers carrying painting mother criticised assumption mother worthless errors work including use john joseph life story basis works dramatic art based accounts play elephant man american playwright staged character based played later david_bowie film titled elephant man directed released received academy_award nominations played television network abc broadcast adaptation play starring appears episodes second season bbc historical crime drama street portrayed actor published true history elephant man presenting fruits detailed archival research ford brought light large new information addition proving joseph john able describe detail life story refuted account showing mother abandon deliberately chose exhibit living
Joseph Merrick