Editing Joseph Merrick (section)

== Legacy ==
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In 1923, Treves published a volume, ''The Elephant Man and Other Reminiscences'', in which he detailed what he knew of Merrick's life and his personal interactions with him. This account is the source of much of what is known about Merrick, but the book contained several inaccuracies. Merrick had never completely confided in Treves about his early life, so these details were consequently sketchy in Treves's ''Reminiscences''. A more mysterious error is that concerning Merrick's first name; Treves, in his earlier journal articles as well as his book, persisted in calling him John Merrick. The reason for this is unknown, as Merrick clearly signed his name as "Joseph" in the examples of his handwriting that remain.<ref name=Howell7 /> 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".<ref name=Howell164 /> Whatever the reason for the discrepancy, it continued throughout much of the 20th century; later biographers have perpetuated the error, having based their work on Treves's book.

Treves depicted Tom Norman, the showman who had exhibited Merrick on Whitechapel Road, as a cruel drunk who ruthlessly exploited his charge.<ref name=odnbnorman /><ref name=shef /> In a letter to the ''World's Fair'' newspaper, and later in his own memoirs, Norman denied this characterisation and said he provided his show attractions with a means to earn a living, adding that Merrick was still on display while residing at the London Hospital, but with no way of controlling how or when he was viewed. According to [[Nadja Durbach]], author of ''The Spectacle of Deformity: Freak Shows and Modern British Culture'' (2010), Norman's view gives an insight into the Victorian freak show's function as a survival mechanism for poor people with deformities, as well as the attitude of medical professionals of the time.<ref name=Durbach34 /> Durbach cautions that the memoirs of both Treves and Norman must be understood as "narrative reconstructions&nbsp;... that reflect personal and professional prejudices and cater to the demands and expectations of their very different audiences".<ref name=Durbach37 />

In November 2016, Joanne Vigor-Mungovin published a book called ''Joseph: The Life, Times and Places of the Elephant Man'', which included a foreword written by a member of Merrick's family. The book looks into the early life of Merrick and his family in Vigor-Mungovin's hometown of Leicester, with detailed information about Merrick's family and his ambition to be self-sufficient rather than survive on the charity of others.<ref>{{cite book |last=Vigor-Mungovin |first=Joanne |title=Joseph: The Life, Times and Places of the Elephant Man |year=2016 |publisher=[[Mango Books]] |location=Ernakulam, Kerala, India |asin=B01M7YFPSK}}</ref>

Anthropologist [[Ashley Montagu]]'s book, ''The Elephant Man: A Study in Human Dignity'' (1971), drew on Treves's book and explored Merrick's character.<ref name= Howell171 /> Montagu reprinted Treves's account alongside various others, such as Carr Gomm's letter to ''The Times'' in December 1886 and the report on Merrick's inquest. He pointed out inconsistencies between the accounts and disputed some of Treves's version of events; he noted, for example, that while Treves claimed Merrick knew nothing of his mother's appearance, Carr Gomm mentions that Merrick carried a painting of his mother with him,<ref name=Montagu41 /> and he criticised Treves's assumption that Merrick's mother was "worthless and inhuman".<ref name=Montagu41 /> However, Montagu also perpetuated some of the errors in Treves's work,<ref name=Howell178 /> including his use of the name "John" rather than "Joseph".<ref name=Montagu41 />

In 1980, Michael Howell and Peter Ford presented the findings of their detailed archival research in ''[[The True History of the Elephant Man]]'', which revealed a large amount of new information about Merrick. Howell and Ford were able to provide a more detailed description of Merrick's life story, also proving that his name was actually Joseph, not John. They refuted some of the inaccuracies in Treves's account, showing that Merrick had not been abandoned by his mother, and that he had voluntarily chosen to exhibit himself to make a living.

{{Quote box
 |quote  = 'Tis true my form is something odd,<br />
But blaming me is blaming God;<br />
Could I create myself anew<br />
I would not fail in pleasing you.<br /><br />
If I could reach from pole to pole<br />
Or grasp the ocean with a span,<br />
I would be measured by the soul;<br />
The mind's the standard of the man.
 |source = &nbsp;—poem used by Joseph Merrick to end his letters, adapted from "False&nbsp;Greatness" by [[Isaac Watts]]<ref name=pamphlet />
 |width  = 40%
 |align  = right
 |qalign = center
}}

Some persons remarked on Merrick's strong Christian faith (Treves is also said to have been a Christian), and that his strong character and courage in the face of disabilities earned him admiration.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Sitton |first1=Jeanette |last2=Stroshane |first2=Mae Siu Wai |title=Measured by the soul: the life of Joseph Carey Merrick, also known as the Elephant Man |year=2012 |publisher=Friends of Joseph Carey Merrick |isbn=978-1-300-45725-1 |pages=8, 9, 192 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5T0HBAAAQBAJ |access-date=8 February 2019 |archive-date=21 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210321201442/https://www.google.com/books/edition/Measured_by_Soul_The_Life_of_Joseph_Care/5T0HBAAAQBAJ?gbpv=1 |url-status=live }}</ref> Merrick's life story has become the subject of several works of dramatic art, based on the accounts of Treves and Montagu. ''[[The Elephant Man (play)|The Elephant Man]]'', a [[Tony Award]]-winning play by American playwright [[Bernard Pomerance]], was staged in 1979.<ref name=DailyNews /> The character based on Merrick was initially played by [[David Schofield (actor)|David Schofield]],<ref>{{cite web |title=David Schofield |url=http://www.filmbug.com/db/320849 |publisher=Filmbug |access-date=4 December 2015 |archive-date=21 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210321201443/https://www.filmbug.com/db/320849 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.unfinishedhistories.com/hidden/the-elephant-man/ |title=The Elephant Man |website=unfinishedhistories.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210321201500/http://www.unfinishedhistories.com/hidden/the-elephant-man/ |archive-date=21 March 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> and in subsequent productions by various actors including [[Philip Anglim]], [[David Bowie]], [[Bruce Davison]], [[Mark Hamill]] and [[Bradley Cooper]].<ref name=Montreal /> A biographical film, also titled ''[[The Elephant Man (1980 film)|The Elephant Man]]'', was released in 1980; directed by [[David Lynch]], it received eight [[Academy Award]] nominations. Merrick was played by [[John Hurt]] and Frederick Treves by [[Anthony Hopkins]]. In 1982, US television network [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] broadcast an adaptation of Pomerance's play, starring Anglim.<ref name= Nashua />

In the 2001 film [[From Hell (film)|''From Hell'']], Merrick, played by Anthony Parker, appears briefly.

American metal band [[Mastodon (band)|Mastodon]] has three songs dedicated to Joseph Merrick - all of them are instrumental album closers: "Elephant Man" (from ''[[Remission (Mastodon album)|Remission]]'', 2002), "Joseph Merrick" (from ''[[Leviathan (Mastodon album)|Leviathan]]'', 2004), and "Pendulous Skin" (from ''[[Blood Mountain (album)|Blood Mountain]]'', 2006).

Merrick is portrayed by actor Joseph Drake in two episodes of the second series of the BBC historical crime drama ''[[Ripper Street]]'', first broadcast in 2013. In 2017, the [[Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne]], commissioned playwright [[Tom Wright (Australian playwright)|Tom Wright]] to produce a play about Merrick's life. ''The Real and Imagined History of the Elephant Man'' premiered on 4&nbsp;August 2017, starring [[Daniel Monks]] in the title role. The cast also featured [[Paula Arundell]], [[Julie Forsyth]], Emma J. Hawkins, and Sophie Ross.<ref>{{cite news |first=Kate |last=Herbert |url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/lifestyle/melbourne/moving-performances-but-uneven-impact/news-story/d133cadb3c42f9a26283f8d71592a812 |title=Moving performances but uneven impact |newspaper=[[The Herald-Sun (Durham, North Carolina)|The Herald-Sun]] |publisher=[[The McClatchy Company|McClatchy]] |location=Durham, NC |date=20 August 2017 |access-date=18 September 2017 |archive-date=13 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170813193029/http://www.heraldsun.com.au/lifestyle/melbourne/moving-performances-but-uneven-impact/news-story/d133cadb3c42f9a26283f8d71592a812 |url-status=live }}</ref> The play toured the UK in 2023, directed by Stephen Bailey and starring [[Zak Ford-Williams]] as Merrick.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Interview - Zak Ford-Williams - Taking on the Elephant Man - Able Magazine |url=https://ablemagazine.co.uk/interview-zak-ford-williams/ |access-date=24 August 2024 |website=ablemagazine.co.uk |date=14 September 2023 |quote=I think there's a slight advantage, because I'm so used to being very aware and having to control my body and my mouth. When I have to change my physicality or my voice I have, I feel, a great awareness to begin with.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Zak |first=Ford-Williams |year=2023 |title=How The Real and Imagined History of the Elephant Man connects with the disabled experience. |url=https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x8n49us |access-date=3 September 2024 |website=www.dailymotion.com |language=en-US}}</ref> This cast of this production included [[Annabelle Davis|Annabelle Davies]] and [[Nadia Nadarajah]], and off the back of this production, the play was published as a book.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wright |first=Tom |title=The Real & Imagined History of the Elephant Man |url=https://www.nickhernbooks.co.uk/the-real-imagined-history-of-the-elephant-man |access-date=24 August 2024 |website=Nick Hern Books}}</ref>

It was announced in August 2018 that [[Charlie Heaton]] would be playing Merrick in a new two-part BBC drama,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2018/the-elephant-man |title=Charlie Heaton is The Elephant Man |work=BBC Media Centre |date=22 August 2018 |access-date=22 January 2019 |archive-date=21 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210321201449/https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2018/the-elephant-man |url-status=live }}</ref> a decision that drew criticism from some quarters;<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.sky.com/story/anger-over-casting-of-stranger-things-star-charlie-heaton-as-elephant-man-11485440 |title=Anger over casting of Stranger Things star Charlie Heaton as Elephant Mann |publisher=[[Sky News]] |access-date=22 January 2019 |archive-date=21 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210321201453/https://news.sky.com/story/anger-over-casting-of-stranger-things-star-charlie-heaton-as-elephant-man-11485440 |url-status=live }}</ref> instead of re-casting a disabled actor, the production was subsequently cancelled. In the 2019 sitcom ''[[Year of the Rabbit (TV series)|Year of the Rabbit]]'', Merrick was played by [[David Dawson (actor)|David Dawson]] as a pretentious theatrical type.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/year-of-the-rabbit-review-tv-matt-berry-channel-4-the-sweeney-a8952631.html |title=Year of the Rabbit review: Matt Berry in superb form as drunken and incompetent copper |last=O'Grady |first=Sean |date=10 June 2019 |website=The Independent |access-date=1 September 2019 |archive-date=21 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210321201517/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/year-rabbit-review-tv-matt-berry-channel-4-sweeney-a8952631.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Merrick's life is the subject of ''Joseph Merrick, The Elephant Man'', an opera by composer [[Laurent Petitgirard]], set to a French libretto by Eric Nonn. Starring contralto [[Jana Sykorova]] in the title role, it premiered on 7&nbsp;February 2002 at the [[State Opera (Prague)|State Opera House, Prague]].<ref>{{cite web |first=Laurent |last=Petitgirard |url=http://www.petitgirard.com/uk/elephant-man.html |title=Laurent Petitgiraud, french composer and conductor: Elephant Man |website=petitgirard.com |access-date=18 September 2017 |archive-date=26 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160426070253/http://www.petitgirard.com/uk/elephant-man.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>