In 1923, Frederick Treves published a volume entitled The Elephant
Man and Other Reminiscences, in which he detailed what he knew of
Merrick's life and their personal interactions. This account is the
source of much of what is known about Merrick, but there were several
inaccuracies in the book. Merrick never completely confided in Treves
about his early life, so these details were consequently sketchy in
Treves' Reminiscences. A more mysterious error is that of Merrick's
first name. Treves, in his earlier journal articles as well as his book,
insisted on calling him John Merrick. The reason for this is unclear;
Merrick clearly signed his name as "Joseph" in the examples of his
handwriting that remain. In the handwritten manuscript for The Elephant
Man and Other Reminiscences, Treves began his account by writing
"Joseph" and then crossed it out and replaced it with "John". Whatever
the reason for the error, it is one that persisted throughout much of
the 20th century; later biographers who based their work on Treves' book
have continued the error.
Treves' depiction of Tom Norman, the showman who exhibited Merrick,
was as a cruel drunk who ruthlessly exploited his charge. In a letter to
the World's Fair newspaper, and later in his own memoirs, Norman denied
this characterisation and said that he provided his show attractions
with a way of earning a living, and that at the London Hospital, Merrick
was still on display, but with no control over how or when he was
viewed. According to Nadja Durbach, author of The Spectacle of
Deformity: Freak Shows and Modern British Culture, Norman's view gives
an insight into the Victorian freak show's function as a means of
survival for poor people with deformities, as well as the attitude of
medical professionals of the time. Durbach cautions that both Treves'
and Norman's memoirs must be understood as "narrative reconstructions
... that reflect personal and professional prejudices and cater to the
demands and expectations of their very different audiences".
In 1971,
anthropologist Ashley Montagu published The Elephant Man: A Study in
Human Dignity which drew on Treves' book and explored Merrick's
character. Montagu reprinted Treves' account alongside various others
such as Carr Gomm's letter to the Times and the report on Merrick's
inquest. He pointed out inconsistencies between the accounts and
sometimes disputed Treves' version of events; he noted, for example,
that while Treves claimed Merrick knew nothing of his mother's
appearance, Carr Gomm refers to Merrick carrying a painting of his
mother with him, and he criticized Treves' assumption that Merrick's
mother was "worthless and inhuman". However, Montagu also perpetuated
some of the errors in Treves' work, including his use of the name "John"
rather than "Joseph".
Between 1979 and 1982, Merrick's life story became the basis of
several works of dramatic art; these were based on the accounts of
Treves and Montagu. In 1979, a Tony Award-winning play, The Elephant
Man, by American playwright Bernard Pomerance was staged. The character
based on Merrick was played by Philip Anglim, and later by David Bowie.
In 1980 David Lynch released The Elephant Man film, which received eight
Academy award nominations. Merrick was played by John Hurt and
Frederick Treves by Anthony Hopkins. In 1982, US television network ABC
broadcast an adaptation of Pomerance's play, starring Anglim.
In
1980, Michael Howell and Peter Ford published The True History of the
Elephant Man, presenting the fruits of their detailed archival research.
Howell and Ford brought to light a large amount of new information
about Merrick. In addition to proving that his name was Joseph, not
John, they were able to describe in more detail his life story. They
refuted some of the inaccuracies in Treves' account, showing that
Merrick's mother did not abandon him, and that Merrick deliberately
chose to exhibit himself to make a living.
- Sir Frederick Treves - The Elephant Man And Other Reminiscences (1982) - 128 Kbps
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