Inside tragic life of 'the Elephant Man' as plans for statue are scrapped

28 July 2023 , 09:44

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Fascinated Victorians often examined Joseph Merrick

Plans to erect a statue honouring the 'Elephant Man' have been scrapped after campaigns to raise £67,000 in funds have failed.

Jo Vigor-Mungovin started the appeal in 2019 so the statue of Joseph Merrick - the so-called Elephant Man - could be installed in his hometown of Leicester.

But the local historian and Merrick biographer only managed to collect a fraction of it, even after the original target of £130,000 was lowered to £67,000. Although she received a lot of support from the community, many also criticised the move.

Merrick, who died in 1980, was known as the Elephant man because of extreme deformities, including large growths of bone at the front and right of his head. Fascinated Victorians studied and examined him but he was often subjected to ridicule throughout his life.

Swelling in Joseph Merrick's lips created a 8cm ‘trunk’

This is Joseph Merrick's skeleton (Getty Images / Queen Mary University of London)

In a Facebook post, Ms Vigor-Mungovin said: "It is with great sadness that I wish to inform that a statue of Joseph Merrick will not be erected in his hometown of Leicester. I have not managed to raise even close to the amount of money that I need. My wonderful sculptor was even able to reduce the cost as much as possible.

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"Even with all of the support that I have received from friends, family, the media, and a number of Leicester citizens and others from outside the city, it has been a very difficult and stressful time. Especially dealing with nasty/aggressive comments on social media. I am one person, and this one person cannot manage."

Merrick didn't develop the condition until he was five years old. His right arm and hand were also far bigger than the left, his right femur was bigger and thicker than the left, while his spine was badly curved, causing his whole body to be hunched. Swelling in his lips created an 8cm ‘trunk’.

He worked for many years in a Leicester workhouse. In the 19-century he travelled around Europe as a 19th-century freak show attraction before finding solace at the London Hospital, Whitechapel, where he surprised staff by proving to have an intelligent and sensitive personality.

On 11 April, 1890, he died aged 27, asphyxiated by the weight of his own head, apparently after trying to lie down. Although the cause of his condition is still uncertain many researchers say it could be Proteus syndrome, a rare genetic disorder.

Ms Vigor-Mungovin said any money raised would go towards another type of memorial for Merrick while some money will be donated to a disability charity.

She is now in talks with Leicester Civic Society about erecting Joseph Merrick plaque.

Maryam Qaiser