Photo by history
history@historyistimeless Joseph Merrick was 27 when he entered the London Hospital in 1886 after spending years being exhibited to paying crowds as “The Elephant Man.” Growths had changed the shape of his skull, skin, and limbs so severely that most people saw his appearance before they saw him. He had spent much of his adult life moving between workhouses and traveling exhibitions, often relying on people who made money from the way he looked. At the hospital, surgeon Frederick Treves studied his condition, but Merrick slowly became known for much more than that. He read, wrote letters, built detailed models, and met visitors who were often surprised by how thoughtful and gentle he was. Doctors still do not know for certain what caused his condition, though Proteus syndrome has long been one of the leading theories. Merrick died in 1890 at just 27. Because of the weight of his head, he usually slept sitting upright, but he was found lying down in bed and likely died after trying to sleep like everyone else. That detail is part of what makes his story so hard to forget. He spent most of his life being stared at for looking different, while wanting many of the same ordinary things as everyone around him.
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A preview Instagram ships with the post — 14 of 98 public comments.
@ik.wilanoniemblijven 😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢
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@gamblerjason if I was rich I'd buy that hospital, cremate that man so nobody could dig him back up and then bury the ashes with a beautiful headstone that just read his name. birthday. deathday and an epitaph that read "He was loved"
@allthingstammie I looked it up so you don’t have to: Proteus syndrome is a rare, progressive genetic condition that causes disproportionate and asymmetric overgrowth of bones, skin, fat, and blood vessels.
@xurxo.avila Poor man. ❤️
@jamesfulgieri Mastodon anyone?
@wildflowers97_ What caused his skull to look like that?
@realityxt :(
@amoty13333 Destroy that musem
@gerard10901 This is disgusting…he was tortured enough in life….yet these ghouls parade his skull.💀
@alien.autopsy Michael Jackson tried to buy his skeleton btw.
@roll_d_dynzz They could not even let him rest peacefully and alone. They had to take a part of his body and exhibit it
@adventureswithashie.priv So much for rest in piece. That poor man. At least be a replica and the real skeleton is buried somewhere?
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@limnoscelis1 I thought his skill looked a lot more bulkier
@revenant8649 You only get what you "need."