A true story of a very ugly and unfortunate man
Joseph Carey Merrick (5 August 1862 - 11 April 1890) was the inspiration for the book
The Elephant Man. He was an English man with severe deformaties. His deformaties developed early on when he was a very small child. His skin appeared thick and lumpy, his lips were enlarged and a bony lump grew out on his forehead. He became a human curiosity and began touring around Europe with a showman named Sam Torr. People used to look at him and observe him in the same way they would observe an animal in a circus. Fortunately, Dr. Treves discovered Merrick and had him admitted into London hospital where he was looked after and allowed to stay for the remainder of his short life.