Folk Figure. Widely known as "The Elephant Man," he suffered from Proteus Syndrome, a condition that caused his body to grotesquely deform from an early age. Chronically unemployed and shunned, he joined a circus freak show for a few years before happening upon the help of Dr. Frederick Treves, who cared for him for the remainder of his life. His body was donated to medical science, and his skeletal remains are at the Royal London Hospital, not accessible to the general public.
Folk Figure. Widely known as "The Elephant Man," he suffered from Proteus Syndrome, a condition that caused his body to grotesquely deform from an early age. Chronically unemployed and shunned, he joined a circus freak show for a few years before happening upon the help of Dr. Frederick Treves, who cared for him for the remainder of his life. His body was donated to medical science, and his skeletal remains are at the Royal London Hospital, not accessible to the general public.
Bio by: Celia Foster
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In Memoriam
Joseph Merrick
1862–1890
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