Joseph (John) Merrick lived in England from 1862-1890. Merrick was born with a congenital disease which created abnormal and excessive bone growth on his skull and some of his limbs. Because he was not able to obtain work elsewhere, Merrick ended up in a circus sideshow where he earned a living being a living curiosity and was given the name "The Elephant Man".
Most people know the rest of the story from the 1980 movie, "The Elephant Man"
Did Michael Jackson Buy the Elephant Man's Bones?
In 1987, news reports all over the world announced that singer Michael Jackson had submitted an offer to purchase the remains of Joseph (John) Merrick, also known as the Elephant Man. At the time, this news was just one more bizarre fact in the life that was Michael Jackson's. Jackson was reportedly sleeping in a hyperbaric chamber to extend his life, invented and patented anti-gravity boots and traveled around with a chimpanzee. Buying the famous Elephant Man's bones did not seem to be out of the realm of possibility.
According to London Hospital spokespeople, Michael Jackson became fascinated with the story of the Elephant Man when the Broadway play based on Merrick's life debuted in 1979, followed by the movie "The Elephant Man" in 1980. Jackson reportedly showed up at the hospital in 1982 and again in 1985 to view the remains.
Merrick's bones were kept in the hospital's Pathology Museum for viewing only by professionals and students
The Elephant Man
ReplyDeleteJoseph Carey Merrick, sometimes incorrectly referred to as John Merrick, (5 August 1862 – 11 April 1890) was an English man with severe deformities who, after he was exhibited as a human curiosity called the Elephant Man, became well known in London society after he went to live at the London Hospital.
Merrick died on 11 April 1890, aged 27. The official cause of death was asphyxia, although Treves, who dissected the body, said that it was a dislocated neck. He believed that Merrick—who had to sleep sitting up because of the weight of his head—had been attempting to sleep lying down, to "be like other people". The exact cause of Merrick's deformities is unclear. The dominant theory throughout much of the 20th century was that Merrick suffered from neurofibromatosis type I. In 1986, a new theory emerged that he had Proteus syndrome.
In addition to his deformities, at some point during his childhood, Merrick suffered a fall and damaged his left hip. This injury became infected and left him permanently lame.
In 1987, pop star Michael Jackson made a bid to buy the bones of Joseph Merrick. In exchange for the remains, Jackson offers the London Hospital Medical College $500,000. As reported in a CBC Radio interview with David Edwards, chief administrator at the college, Jackson soon doubles the amount. However, the College declined again.
Sorry!I couldn't upload the pictures because my blog expired.
"The Elephant Man"
ReplyDeleteIn 1980, David Lynch's masterpiece The Elephant Man was released. The film told the story of John Merrick, a tragically deformed yet charming and intelligent Englishman.When it hit the screens in 1980, it became a cult hit with sufferers of neurofibromatosis, the disease that the Elephant Man was thought to have had. Previously, it was though that he suffered from elephantiasis, a tropical disease causes by parasites in the bloodstream. However, it was suggested in 1979 that Merrick had Proteus syndrome or "Elephant Man's Disease", which causes abnormal, unchecked growth of bones, skin, and other systems. Fewer than 100 cases of Proteus have been recorded, while NF occurs in one in every 4,000 births. No condition has ever produced a degree of deformity equivalent to Merrick's.
Joseph Carey Merrick was born in Leicester, England in 1862.Joseph's attempt to find traditional work were unsuccessful. Sick with bronchitis, and requiring surgery due to the intrusion of tumors into his throat, Joseph would very likely have died on the streets of Leicester, if it weren't for a compassionate showman named Tom Norman. Norman was the UK's answer to P.T. Barnum, and in fact received his nickname, "The Silver King", from the legendary American impresario because of the flashy silver jewelry he wore. Finding himself out of options and desperate for medical care, Merrick pitched himself to Sam Torr, another showman, who in turn introduced him to Norman. Norman paid for the operations Merrick required and helped Merrick become a successful museum freak. Under Norman's tutelage, Merrick accumulated 200 pounds, a large sum of money at the time. However, while touring Belgium, Merrick became separated from his guardian. Naive and sickly, he was a perfect target for robbers, and an unscrupulous Austrian (some say Italian) showman tricked him out of his small fortune.
Returning home from Belgium, Merrick was discovered in the Liverpool train station by Dr. Frederick Treves, who had previously seen Merrick on display in a medical school. Merrick was suffering from bronchitis and malnutrition, and Treves brought him back to the Whitechapel Hospital. The hospital became Merrick's permanent home; in his room he wrote poetry and prose and built models from card stock, his most famous being of the St. Philip's cathedral in Birmingham, which Merrick had never seen but constructed from studying architectural drawings. While living in the hospital, however, Merrick became a freak of a different sort. Treves exhibited him before classes of medical students, where he stood naked before leering crowds and was subjected to humiliating examinations. It became fashionable among members of London's upper class to visit the Elephant Man and mask their disgust as the conversed with the intelligent and well-spoken man. His visitors brought him all sorts of gifts, including a beautiful shaving set, which of course Merrick could not use because of the condition of his skin. He even struck up a pen-pal relationship with a famous actress of the day, who promised she would come see him, although she never did.
As Merrick became more comfortable with other people, he was taken on outings and even went to the theater. He shook hands with people and spoke to strangers, even women, with ease. Unfortunately, his newfound sense of self-respect came too late, and he died in his sleep in April 11, 1890. Rumors spread that the Elephant Man had been murdered, but Dr. Treves dispelled these, revealing the true cause of Merrick's death to be asphyxiation. He had attempted to sleep lying down, like a "normal person", and the weight of the tumors on his head and neck had crushed his trachea.
Sorry,I can't to post this story on blog becouse my blog expired.
I love David Lynch's films. He is one of my favorite directors. My favorite David Lynch films are The Elephant Man, Blue Velvet and Mulholland Drive. I also liked the TV series Twin Peaks.
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