Life's like this definitely makes us understand friends and stuff is not it. I think elephant man died because he couldn't cope with this environment any longer.
This is a good documentry I wish they had the whole thing uploaded on here I remember watching this years ago. It was a good thing that Joseph was able to live at the hospital, best place for someone like him. None of his relatives ever came forward sad. And they didn't have nursing homes back then. You were a champion of courage Joseph god rest you soul! :)
@watchensee He did keep in contact with his Uncle Charles.He sent him ''Robinson Crusoe'' when he lived in the hospital as a present. Joseph lived with him and his Aunt Jane a while after he left his father and stepmother...but he realised he couldnt stay with them. He considered himself a burden because he couldnt find work, and contribute.... and entered Leicester workhouse. He was so strong and brave , even at such a young age.
@MrsJosephMerrick Wow I had no idea he had any contact with relatives. I know he worked as a door to door salesman, but after his condution progressed he could no longer do that job and went to the workhouse. Workhouses were terrible places! The sideshow buisness was his idea, he figured he could profit from his misfortune. Yes he was strong and brave he had more gutts than most people, his birth sign was Leo I think?
@watchensee I had to look it up! But youre right, he was a Leo, being born on 5 Aug 1862. :)
Before becoming a hawker(salesman),he worked in a cigar factory called Freemens, straight after he left school, but as his right hand grew more deformed and clumsy, eventually he had to leave.That whe his father got him the hawking licence. It was terrible.Children would follow him, people wouldnt open their doors when they knew it was him.In the end, he couldnt make the quota his father set him...
@watchensee ...and he'd walk about the streets hungry and afraid to go home to his father and stepmother .She was an evil woman, denying him a full meal, saying he hadnt earned it, &eventually his father beat him so hard when he returned from another terrible day trying to sell, Joseph just left, never to make contact with him again.That was when his Uncle took him in for a while...When I imagine Joseph walking around the streets like that, looking so awful and pitiful it just breaks my heart.
@MrsJosephMerrick God that man indured alot of painful Bullsh*t in his life damn Father & Stepmother! }:( Bless his Uncle! I know his Mother was good to him, sadly she fell ill and passed away. I heard something about that Joseph had a Sister, and she was crippled since birth?
@watchensee Yes, Marian Eliza - but, like his mother, no one knows how she was ''crippled'', the term covers many conditions.Recent research has also discovered that Joseph had another little brother, apart from William who died from scarlett fever. His name was John and he only lived 3 months.
@MrsJosephMerrick Gosh I guess Joseph was the only child of his Mother's that got out into the world, and made it to adulthood? Although he died a young man 27? I heard he suffered from hearing & vision lose.
@watchensee He was almost completely deaf in his right ear, and he couldnt see so well from his right eye.But his vision was good enough for him to read - alot! - when he was at the hospital!
@watchensee ...You may have seen that documentary on Discovery about him a few months ago, that was when they discovered the hearing loss. It was a very emotional programme, and showed how Joseph suffered everyday, even more than was first thought. I couldnt see it here, but one of my in-laws video'd it for me. When they recreated how Joseph spoke I just couldnt stop crying.
@MrsJosephMerrick I wondered about the hearing in his right ear. When you look at how it's postioned it's so far from where it should be. I read about him some years back on the internet that's how I found out about the hearing & vision problems. I also read that some of the people that he worked with didn't knw how to read & write, and Joseph had to write things down for them.Joseph was also a man of class! I would really like to see this new documentry about him.
@watchensee The ear isnt positioned far back so much as ''turned over'' where the deformity of Joseph's face pushes it downwards. The position isnt the cause of the deafness, its because when thy made a scan of his skull they could see more abnormal bone growths actually in his ear - in fact, blocking it....Theres just a few clips of the docu on utube, theyre about how he walked,slept, died,and the one where the finished cgi has him ''talking''. Have a look and you'll find them....
@watchensee ...Yes, the docu was first shown on Discovery channel in UK , then a few months later in America. Its a shame its not more widely shown because its excellent.Maybe some nice person will be able to upload on utube sometime.
@TraceurHarryG1 It is not a model, it is real. And his remains are for researchers or medical students, etc only to study - it is not for public display.
@Luke1111000 Unfortunately, the rooms Joseph lived in no longer exist. The Hospital has in the past years made extensive renovations, and his rooms were destroyed. Even the gardens where he used to walk are considerably smaller than they were. Very sad.
I had a crush on him when I was a teenager. Actually, all of my first loves were dead Victorians...Edgar Allan Poe, Vincent van Gogh, Joseph Merrick, Charlie Chaplin...
@Trund27 You're not strange! Perhaps these men inspirered your feelings by their remarkable talents. The things they did, and overcame. They beat alot of odds in their struggling lives! :) Both Vincent and Joseph struggled terribley. Vincent mentally, and Joseph physically. :(
isn't it strange how suddenly people of the new generation show so much sympathy for this man's story? it goes to show you how much society has progressed.
@jables183 He was the eldest son, he had a brother &sister.His brother William died when a child, &his little sister Marian was also crippled in some way. His mother ,Mary Jane, loved him very much, but died when he was about 11. HIs father remarried, &his stepmother was very cruel to him, denying him meals, because he couldnt find work, &his father beat him - so he left home.... The only member of his family he kept in contact with was his Uncle Charles.Abridged explanation,I hope it helps.
@28ellehcim I do agree with you completely, as do many admirers of Mr Merrick...However, and unfortunately, I would always be concerned that his memorial or grave would be defaced by horrible heartless people, which would be very upsetting indeed - that is why I think, for the moment at least, its better his remains stay where they are - safe.
@28ellehcim I still stand by what I say,because I really believe it would happen.But of course I totally understand you. Ive never seen his remains in real myself, and I genuinely have no wish to. And just seeing them in photos is enough to make me cry. His skeleton is so fragile, vulnerable and sad to see, its just overwhelming. I know hes ''no longer there'', but its still Joseph too, and it shows just how much he suffered, even as he had such an indomitable spirit, and never complained. xx
The man suffered enough, they should show some respect and bury him.let him rest in peace......god bless him ! This wicked world ceases to amaze me with its cruelty, hes a human being for god sake !!!!!!!!!!! Not an exhibition !!!!!!!!
@Harkenish maybe merrick's relatives allowed the scientists to keep his skeleton in order to help people in the future that may get the condition - so it was probably for a good cause !
@skorafreestyle I read somewhere, a long while ago, that ( as I understand it) his relatives consider his remains as a ''memorial''. Its not for me to comment on their point of view, thats their right.
As much as many admirers of Mr Merrick wish very much his remains could be buried with a proper Christian funeral( Merrick was a religious gentleman), we also consider that at at least his remains are kept with respect, and are safe.
@skorafreestyle Just to add, of course when I used the word relatives - I meant the descendents of his family who live now. Merrick had no direct descendants.
Also, he knew while he lived in the hospital that his remains would be kept for research.
@ElMarkyMix I think you mean the recent documentary, shown a couple of months ago in UK. Its actually called''Meet the Elephant man'', and if you type in search theres only at the moment 2 clips from the programme - these was shown on Discovery channel website.
If you go on the internet, and try Discovery Channel and the title, maybe you'll come to it, theres I think one or two more clips, info and cgi photos you can download.
I did not write that comment and you know I feel sorry for the person who used my name and posted they could not look at him...I feel sorry for you. Why your a thief, you have no heart Joseph had feelings and a heart. I really feel sorry you had to write what you did. Joseph was more of a person than you will ever be in a life time
I still wish they would let the medical part of it go and give him a burrial. I would think by not people would like to have a grave and body in it to visit and pay homage to.
@Baltimora1957 I absolutely agree with you...Poor Joseph is still an ''exhibit'' even after death. It is enough. I would accept if a little piece of his remains be kept for research,but the rest be buried with dignity at last. Its terrible to see that little skeleton of his.But somewhere quiet - because I know people could be cruel.So I think the hospital should make a memorial in the gardens of the hosp where he used to walk in the evenings,&it would be there people could pay their respects.
He in my heart a wonderful man. I wish I could of met him not because of what he looked like but because of his love, his caring, his brain how smart and talented he was. Not many kind people out there. He was kind to everyone. I loved him for that. He woke the world up. He showed the evil people and the kind people. He was and still is my hero. I am very much like him personality wise I think there should of been more Joseph Merricks more love and he lived at a time things were bad.
@Maximillionaire666 I want you to know I in no way would ever make a comment that I could not look at him. I looked at him as a person. He had more of a heart than most of you people out there he is my hero and will always be. One wonderful man in this world.
@Maximillionaire666 You are very sick ... don't mess with me. Your sick. I never would or did make a comment I could not look at him. I can look at him but I can not look at you. I am in law enforcement, I was also in the vet field I see more than you ... would see in your miserable life time. I can't take off that comment but I can leave one...again his appearence in no way would effect me. I operated on people you idiot. get off you tube leave people alone.
@diane189444 You're right. I had no idea what I was thinking and I made a stupid, stupid comment. I feel dead bad for saying it now and I've removed it.
Please don't get me wrong. I loved Merrick, I didn't meant to insult him at all, he's one of the most interesting and greatest people ever to live. Hopefully now my comment is gone from the video we can forget this ever happened and I'm sorry.
I'm sorry, but more importantly I'm just need to think before I post. Thanks for reminding me of this
A gentleman he was. A hero in my eyes. He was so smart, so tidy, enjoyed life of what he could. Joseph Merrick a true gentlemen a man that was very loving. His heart is what we loved his soul you saw it through his eyes. I can understand haveing the medical field having his body. Joseph would of wanted that he would want to help in anyway he could. He would want medical science to find out what happened to cause his bones and body to become this way to help others.A kind soul.
He didn't look like a elephant. Because he doesn't have a elephant trunk of his nose. And the tail of the elephant. The friendly Sir Joseph Merrick was look like of his skin are inform a brain coral reefs in his back, head are inform of a rocks, and his mouth are form a shape of a mussel shell. And his skin of his foot are form of a oyster shell.
@staphinfection The film was mostly inaccurate -Mr Merrick was never treated cruelly while he worked the fairs in England.He was respected &made freinds, &saved money.Neither was he at the hospital. Most painful is the slander put upon his mother,who in fact loved him very much, and died when he was about 11, the worst thing to happen to him.The film was based on Treves memoirs, which were inaccurate & full of ''artistic license'',as well the ''deliberate mistake'' of calling him John.
I recently saw a musical version of the Elephant Man called Face to Face. I don't know much about the Elephant Man, and I didn't think the musical did him much justice, It seemed to say he had more of a simple mind. They went to the theatre and he believed that the characters were real and would cheer them on as they fought an ogre. I had heard he was rather intelligent. Is this the truth?
@AnotherIncipient He WAS intelligent,he spoke about subjects which surprised his fellow wotrkers,&he loved to talk about those things he enjoyed,such as books.It is correct though about the panto he saw.He was absolutely drawn into it and spoke about it weeks after.He had a very creative &vivid imagination, pretending(for eg) to himself when he was alone, how it might be for him to act the hero of his novels,and ''act out'' the words he would have said to a woman who would have loved him...
@AnotherIncipient ...In that musical &that Pomerance play, the way he talks annoys me, as it depicts him as being almost ''imbecilic ''-I admire Hurts portrayal in the film because the way he talks shows clearly it was only a physical problem(for him to talk clearly).
In my humble opinion, Joseph was an ill &naive man, &may have unconsciously or not, used his imagination to help him cope with the trauma of knowing how he looked..
@DuncanzeDwarf Well, you'd be placing a losing bet then! Why would I not touch him? Of course I would touch him. I would hold his hand, I would hug him. What is your problem? Why project the way you think you onto me?
@silvermystic2001 Joseph was born a perfect baby. The first signs of his illness started when he was about 2 when a bump appeared on his lower lip, which increased in size until it caused the upper lip to be pushed outwards, and lumps on the left side of his body.
@947rich No offence, but thats not correct. He died from asphyxiation - the weight of his head being too heavy for his neck to support it when he lay down to sleep ''just once as a normal person''.
Whether it was deliberate or an accident, we'll never know.The bedclothes were tidy when he was found, so it seemed that he passed away without distress...but it is unimagineably sad and upsetting that Joseph died like that, totally alone....
@MrsJosephMerrick While he may have had the most unlucky DNA lottery ticket in life, he scored an ace in passing in his sleep at his home. Who wouldn't choose that? That is the stated preference for most when the time comes. Also, he is not buried yet because it is still inconclusive as to what specifically afflicted him and there may be more that can be learned. Finally, his remains are not publicly available for viewing and access is restricted to research professionals only.
@cheytacbanger Yes, I think I agree with you about that. It could have been worse - terrible in fact.At least he passed away in a comfortable, clean and safe place, where he was given respect - so perhaps when the end came for him(accident or not) it was peaceful for him.And yes, youre right about his remains, and its right and proper theyre only viewed by professionals(even as photos are available ,but its not the same is it as people staring at the real thing as though for entertainment).
thank you for sharing this portion of the documentary on youtube ...it is a small credit to an extraordinary life of a gentle man. I am grateful to have some information as to how Mr. Merrick managed his incredible life. That he lived as graciously as he did inspires me. ...thank you indeed
@Sirradal Joseph Merrick's mother and father did not have any deformities, however she was crippled. (No one is sure if it was due to any disease or her long years of working as a housemaid, before she married Joseph's father) His younger brother William Arthur had no deformities although his younger sister Marion Eliza was later proven to have suffered from a disease called myelitis, which is an inflammation of the spinal cord.
I came back here to voice an opinion,I hope you dont mind.When I think of what was done to Joseph after he died to preserve his skeleton makes me distressed and sickens me.I know it was done for medical reasons etc, and he himself guessed what might happen to him...But, I think its about time his remains were buried with dignity.I would be the first person to lay flowers on his grave.I feel really deeply about it. Thanks.
@MrsJosephMerrick I agree with you. They should really bury him by now. I am not that kind of "all for the sience"-person, they should bury him and then let him rest in peace. He deserves that.
@IVH93 Thankyou. After all, these days it would be quite resonable to keep a little sample for research, I wouldnt object to that, and an exact replica of his skeleton could be made.And then Joseph could be given a proper and respectful funeral that was never given him in life(they did have a memorial service I believe). The thing is, I get really emotional about it. To know that skeleton is really him just gets to me, its so little, fragile and sad. It just makes me cry.
@MrsJosephMerrick I know, it upsets me too. And why haven't they picked your idea (which also is mine, and probably many others) and used it ? I think it's all for entertainment. So people can come and see his real scelleton in real life. And that's the saddest thing. All for money, you know.
@IVH93 Youre sweet. I wanted to tell you at once because you sounded upset that his skeleton is only for researchers and student doctors to look at, it is NOT on public display, neither are the plaster casts of his limbs and face. The public can instead view his hat and veil, his only surviving letter (to the kind lady who first shook his hand),and the photo of him wearing his best clothes in the Royal London Hospital Museum, which does NOT charge an entry fee.I hope that makes you feel better.
@MrsJosephMerrick OK, thanks for the options to make that clear! And thank you again:) Well, I still think it's unfair that they have to have it though. They should put that case to rest.
elefantiasis is a disease caused by a parasitic worm called Wuchereria Brancofti. If you get infected, the worm will live in your limphaitc system, obstructing the passage of lymph. This will cause the swell of the lower dorso.
Marric condition, on the other hand, caused his bone structure to be deformed.
The hipothesis is that he probably had protheus syndrome combined with neurofibromatosis.
To think of how Joseph suffered is deeply upsetting. To see his poor skeleton in this film makes me cry right now. Its so little and fragile, and to know it was him is just too much.There arent the words to describe my feelings. How terrible it must have been for him as a child, and no one ever seems to think of that...Its just unbearable.
He was a lovely,brave ,wonderful and intelligent man , and I wish I could tell him so.All my admiration and respect for him. My heart goes out to you Joseph.
your comment doesn't even deserve a response, in fact it should be removed. personally, i think you are just a dumb ass who is trying to get a reaction. and if not and you really believe he was a monster then you are a good example of why there are so many problems in this world, idiots like you create them
some say because of this mans body shape he was a monster some say he wasnt human some said a deformity
he was none of these things in my opinion he was a normal person on the inside but as to some people he was a monster on the outside to me he looked like a misguided angel
phisically , but he was one of the greatest english men of all times and he is an extraordinary example of what a man can be.....for me he deserves to become sir joseph merrick
@bullterrier1972 That has a nice sound to it doesn't it? The man was a true hero and was everything positive that you could ever ask for in a human being. He should be knighted.
He was supposed to sleep sitting up (like on a chair) when he tried sleeping like a normal person, he died in his sleep. I forgot what it did to his head.
every think that he was a freak well he was not my grand dad used to work wher he lived and 1 day he went 2 meet him he told me that he was 1 of the nicest person he had ever met it doesn't meatter what is on the out side it is about the in side that counts
awesome documentry, i always thought they should do a remake of david lynch's movie, but stick to the basic facts more. that's john hurt doing the voice over for this(played josehp in the original movie)!
first of all, the movie you think about is from the 80s, so i dont think its neccesery to do a remake :P, and second, the origínal movie is from the 40s i think
Joseph was an amazing man, his education and articulation incredible for the average man in Victorian England, yet alone someone who had been dealt a life card such as his....He was a man who can still teach us ALL a lesson in tolerance and humanaity....
So why are you obsessed with why he apparently "smelled horrible"?! (Your words)!
I know he was, I never refuted that. Ever since I saw the movie and the documentaries on Joseph, I've been very interested in his life-story. And I agree on that Joseph's life is a lesson to us all.
I merely was curious as to what could have caused that particular detail of his deformity and wondered if it was something to due with the disease itself or something else entirely.
What I was wondering exactly what caused the smell? Was it the flesh somehow infected by prior ill-health and poverty? Dirt? Sweat trapped within the folds? But anyway, that's good that they DID manage to cut the smell down. Poor Joseph. :(
One thing I never really understood about one of Joseph's problems was that, even after he lived in the hospital (and of course they would have insisted or helped Joseph take baths for both well-being and health), the growths on the back of his head and back smelled horrible. I know I'm not a doctor or nurse (although when I don't sing or practice, I do read medical books), but perhaps there was some dirt amid those growths they couldn't clean out?
@red88m it could also be that the skin there within the folds were decomposing that has been known to happen however i still am just filled with humility and sympathy for joseph how even when he got worse and worse he stayed humble and even built a model chapel dispite his deformities
That is true. I think Joseph was an incredible man and we all could learn a thing or two from him. I also believe that dispite his illness he was lucky. It could have been much worse for him. I am happy to know that he died in peace and comfort.
But arrm ma hueman beying
Bullet to the brain rolf!
atom286 2 weeks ago
Has anyone else noticed that John Hurt played the Elephant Man in the film, and he's the one narrating!
TheCGIMaster 3 weeks ago
Life's like this definitely makes us understand friends and stuff is not it. I think elephant man died because he couldn't cope with this environment any longer.
jsmithbab6 1 month ago
This is a good documentry I wish they had the whole thing uploaded on here I remember watching this years ago. It was a good thing that Joseph was able to live at the hospital, best place for someone like him. None of his relatives ever came forward sad. And they didn't have nursing homes back then. You were a champion of courage Joseph god rest you soul! :)
watchensee 3 months ago
@watchensee He did keep in contact with his Uncle Charles.He sent him ''Robinson Crusoe'' when he lived in the hospital as a present. Joseph lived with him and his Aunt Jane a while after he left his father and stepmother...but he realised he couldnt stay with them. He considered himself a burden because he couldnt find work, and contribute.... and entered Leicester workhouse. He was so strong and brave , even at such a young age.
MrsJosephMerrick 3 months ago
@MrsJosephMerrick Wow I had no idea he had any contact with relatives. I know he worked as a door to door salesman, but after his condution progressed he could no longer do that job and went to the workhouse. Workhouses were terrible places! The sideshow buisness was his idea, he figured he could profit from his misfortune. Yes he was strong and brave he had more gutts than most people, his birth sign was Leo I think?
watchensee 3 months ago
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MrsJosephMerrick 3 months ago
@watchensee I had to look it up! But youre right, he was a Leo, being born on 5 Aug 1862. :)
Before becoming a hawker(salesman),he worked in a cigar factory called Freemens, straight after he left school, but as his right hand grew more deformed and clumsy, eventually he had to leave.That whe his father got him the hawking licence. It was terrible.Children would follow him, people wouldnt open their doors when they knew it was him.In the end, he couldnt make the quota his father set him...
MrsJosephMerrick 3 months ago
@watchensee ...and he'd walk about the streets hungry and afraid to go home to his father and stepmother .She was an evil woman, denying him a full meal, saying he hadnt earned it, &eventually his father beat him so hard when he returned from another terrible day trying to sell, Joseph just left, never to make contact with him again.That was when his Uncle took him in for a while...When I imagine Joseph walking around the streets like that, looking so awful and pitiful it just breaks my heart.
MrsJosephMerrick 3 months ago
@MrsJosephMerrick God that man indured alot of painful Bullsh*t in his life damn Father & Stepmother! }:( Bless his Uncle! I know his Mother was good to him, sadly she fell ill and passed away. I heard something about that Joseph had a Sister, and she was crippled since birth?
watchensee 3 months ago
@watchensee Yes, Marian Eliza - but, like his mother, no one knows how she was ''crippled'', the term covers many conditions.Recent research has also discovered that Joseph had another little brother, apart from William who died from scarlett fever. His name was John and he only lived 3 months.
MrsJosephMerrick 3 months ago
@MrsJosephMerrick Gosh I guess Joseph was the only child of his Mother's that got out into the world, and made it to adulthood? Although he died a young man 27? I heard he suffered from hearing & vision lose.
watchensee 3 months ago
@watchensee He was almost completely deaf in his right ear, and he couldnt see so well from his right eye.But his vision was good enough for him to read - alot! - when he was at the hospital!
MrsJosephMerrick 3 months ago
Comment removed
MrsJosephMerrick 3 months ago
@watchensee ...You may have seen that documentary on Discovery about him a few months ago, that was when they discovered the hearing loss. It was a very emotional programme, and showed how Joseph suffered everyday, even more than was first thought. I couldnt see it here, but one of my in-laws video'd it for me. When they recreated how Joseph spoke I just couldnt stop crying.
MrsJosephMerrick 3 months ago
@MrsJosephMerrick I wondered about the hearing in his right ear. When you look at how it's postioned it's so far from where it should be. I read about him some years back on the internet that's how I found out about the hearing & vision problems. I also read that some of the people that he worked with didn't knw how to read & write, and Joseph had to write things down for them.Joseph was also a man of class! I would really like to see this new documentry about him.
watchensee 3 months ago
@watchensee The ear isnt positioned far back so much as ''turned over'' where the deformity of Joseph's face pushes it downwards. The position isnt the cause of the deafness, its because when thy made a scan of his skull they could see more abnormal bone growths actually in his ear - in fact, blocking it....Theres just a few clips of the docu on utube, theyre about how he walked,slept, died,and the one where the finished cgi has him ''talking''. Have a look and you'll find them....
MrsJosephMerrick 3 months ago
@watchensee ...Yes, the docu was first shown on Discovery channel in UK , then a few months later in America. Its a shame its not more widely shown because its excellent.Maybe some nice person will be able to upload on utube sometime.
MrsJosephMerrick 3 months ago
Comment removed
MrsJosephMerrick 3 months ago
@watchensee ...On an even sadder note, it was his Uncle Charles who came identity him formally when he died.
MrsJosephMerrick 3 months ago
5:04 it would have been better if he was buried but no they had to put his body on show after death
TraceurHarryG1 3 months ago
7:55 is that the actual skeleton of joseph merrick or is it just a model
TraceurHarryG1 3 months ago
@TraceurHarryG1 It is not a model, it is real. And his remains are for researchers or medical students, etc only to study - it is not for public display.
MrsJosephMerrick 3 months ago
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MrJonnyboyification 3 months ago
so sorry for this guy it must have literally been hell on earth for him considering all of the teasing staring and harassing
9720jose 3 months ago
just wondering if the room they showed at 2:38 was the original that Joseph lived in?
thanks :)
Luke1111000 3 months ago
@Luke1111000 Unfortunately, the rooms Joseph lived in no longer exist. The Hospital has in the past years made extensive renovations, and his rooms were destroyed. Even the gardens where he used to walk are considerably smaller than they were. Very sad.
MrsJosephMerrick 3 months ago
I had a crush on him when I was a teenager. Actually, all of my first loves were dead Victorians...Edgar Allan Poe, Vincent van Gogh, Joseph Merrick, Charlie Chaplin...
I was a strange girl. Still am
Trund27 4 months ago
@Trund27 thats so unique. i like you. xD
EmixEmergency 4 months ago
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Trund27 4 months ago
@EmixEmergency That's extremely nice of you. :D
Trund27 4 months ago
@Trund27 You're not strange! Perhaps these men inspirered your feelings by their remarkable talents. The things they did, and overcame. They beat alot of odds in their struggling lives! :) Both Vincent and Joseph struggled terribley. Vincent mentally, and Joseph physically. :(
watchensee 3 months ago
@watchensee You are incredibly kind. Thank you for that. Great insight, too :0)
Trund27 3 months ago
@Trund27 You're welcome, but they're words of truth! :)
watchensee 3 months ago
isn't it strange how suddenly people of the new generation show so much sympathy for this man's story? it goes to show you how much society has progressed.
WatsDaWurd 6 months ago 9
@WatsDaWurd so true. many people only see the bad things in society, we need to look more to the positive things.
lvmykids1 5 months ago
@WatsDaWurd What a beautiful thing to write
Trund27 4 months ago
He was a beautiful man regardless of what people say.
MademoiselleAnna 6 months ago
@MademoiselleAnna That's why I had a crush on him when I was a brutally awkward, outcast teenager
I still love him now that I am a brutally awkward, terminal nerd in middle age xD
Trund27 4 months ago
When I was younger I had nightmares about this guy
MrOrangegamer 7 months ago
@MrOrangegamer You aren't the only one.
UltimateTibu 5 months ago
poor guy :'(
eArtrash 7 months ago
1:07 - Voice Crack.
AngryAdobo 7 months ago
he didnt have any siblings at all?
jables183 7 months ago
@jables183 He was the eldest son, he had a brother &sister.His brother William died when a child, &his little sister Marian was also crippled in some way. His mother ,Mary Jane, loved him very much, but died when he was about 11. HIs father remarried, &his stepmother was very cruel to him, denying him meals, because he couldnt find work, &his father beat him - so he left home.... The only member of his family he kept in contact with was his Uncle Charles.Abridged explanation,I hope it helps.
MrsJosephMerrick 7 months ago 4
In my opinion his skeleton should be laid to rest... He was 'On display' throughout his life and now deserves peace!
28ellehcim 7 months ago 2
@28ellehcim I do agree with you completely, as do many admirers of Mr Merrick...However, and unfortunately, I would always be concerned that his memorial or grave would be defaced by horrible heartless people, which would be very upsetting indeed - that is why I think, for the moment at least, its better his remains stay where they are - safe.
MrsJosephMerrick 7 months ago
@MrsJosephMerrick very true words actually thanks xx
28ellehcim 5 months ago
@28ellehcim I still stand by what I say,because I really believe it would happen.But of course I totally understand you. Ive never seen his remains in real myself, and I genuinely have no wish to. And just seeing them in photos is enough to make me cry. His skeleton is so fragile, vulnerable and sad to see, its just overwhelming. I know hes ''no longer there'', but its still Joseph too, and it shows just how much he suffered, even as he had such an indomitable spirit, and never complained. xx
MrsJosephMerrick 5 months ago
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It is a great thing that he was such a kind man when he was in such discomfort!
skorafreestyle 7 months ago
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skorafreestyle 7 months ago
The man suffered enough, they should show some respect and bury him.let him rest in peace......god bless him ! This wicked world ceases to amaze me with its cruelty, hes a human being for god sake !!!!!!!!!!! Not an exhibition !!!!!!!!
Harkenish 7 months ago
@Harkenish maybe merrick's relatives allowed the scientists to keep his skeleton in order to help people in the future that may get the condition - so it was probably for a good cause !
skorafreestyle 7 months ago
@skorafreestyle I read somewhere, a long while ago, that ( as I understand it) his relatives consider his remains as a ''memorial''. Its not for me to comment on their point of view, thats their right.
As much as many admirers of Mr Merrick wish very much his remains could be buried with a proper Christian funeral( Merrick was a religious gentleman), we also consider that at at least his remains are kept with respect, and are safe.
MrsJosephMerrick 7 months ago
@skorafreestyle Just to add, of course when I used the word relatives - I meant the descendents of his family who live now. Merrick had no direct descendants.
Also, he knew while he lived in the hospital that his remains would be kept for research.
MrsJosephMerrick 7 months ago
I think it would be a nice touch to knigth this man. If only there was some way of showing this man how we understand illness today..!!
c6gav 7 months ago
R.I.P joseph
dalekside97 8 months ago
Does anybody know where i can watch (online) the Discovery documentary "The Curse of the Elephant Man"? Please!!
ElMarkyMix 8 months ago
@ElMarkyMix I think you mean the recent documentary, shown a couple of months ago in UK. Its actually called''Meet the Elephant man'', and if you type in search theres only at the moment 2 clips from the programme - these was shown on Discovery channel website.
If you go on the internet, and try Discovery Channel and the title, maybe you'll come to it, theres I think one or two more clips, info and cgi photos you can download.
MrsJosephMerrick 8 months ago
@MrsJosephMerrick Thanks!! Long Live Joseph!
ElMarkyMix 8 months ago
sad story but i am glad he had some nice people looking after him
JoanCollins2009 8 months ago
LEICESTER CITY !
niederdonau 9 months ago
I did not write that comment and you know I feel sorry for the person who used my name and posted they could not look at him...I feel sorry for you. Why your a thief, you have no heart Joseph had feelings and a heart. I really feel sorry you had to write what you did. Joseph was more of a person than you will ever be in a life time
diane189444 9 months ago
Is this narrated by John Hurt?
AntiReviews 9 months ago
I still wish they would let the medical part of it go and give him a burrial. I would think by not people would like to have a grave and body in it to visit and pay homage to.
Baltimora1957 9 months ago
@Baltimora1957 I absolutely agree with you...Poor Joseph is still an ''exhibit'' even after death. It is enough. I would accept if a little piece of his remains be kept for research,but the rest be buried with dignity at last. Its terrible to see that little skeleton of his.But somewhere quiet - because I know people could be cruel.So I think the hospital should make a memorial in the gardens of the hosp where he used to walk in the evenings,&it would be there people could pay their respects.
MrsJosephMerrick 9 months ago
peace merrick.
Gantzer1 9 months ago
his name was not the elephant man it was joseph merrick
MrJon1994 10 months ago 2
@MrJon1994 I totally agree with you. He should no longer be called that. He should be called ONLY by his name.
MrsJosephMerrick 10 months ago
well fit
spiderinyourshoeha 10 months ago
remember joseph merrick!
every prayer is fuckin worthless.
YalkOne 10 months ago
He in my heart a wonderful man. I wish I could of met him not because of what he looked like but because of his love, his caring, his brain how smart and talented he was. Not many kind people out there. He was kind to everyone. I loved him for that. He woke the world up. He showed the evil people and the kind people. He was and still is my hero. I am very much like him personality wise I think there should of been more Joseph Merricks more love and he lived at a time things were bad.
diane189444 11 months ago
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Maximillionaire666 9 months ago
@Maximillionaire666 I want you to know I in no way would ever make a comment that I could not look at him. I looked at him as a person. He had more of a heart than most of you people out there he is my hero and will always be. One wonderful man in this world.
diane189444 9 months ago
@Maximillionaire666 You are very sick ... don't mess with me. Your sick. I never would or did make a comment I could not look at him. I can look at him but I can not look at you. I am in law enforcement, I was also in the vet field I see more than you ... would see in your miserable life time. I can't take off that comment but I can leave one...again his appearence in no way would effect me. I operated on people you idiot. get off you tube leave people alone.
diane189444 9 months ago
@diane189444 You're right. I had no idea what I was thinking and I made a stupid, stupid comment. I feel dead bad for saying it now and I've removed it.
Please don't get me wrong. I loved Merrick, I didn't meant to insult him at all, he's one of the most interesting and greatest people ever to live. Hopefully now my comment is gone from the video we can forget this ever happened and I'm sorry.
I'm sorry, but more importantly I'm just need to think before I post. Thanks for reminding me of this
Maximillionaire666 9 months ago
A gentleman he was. A hero in my eyes. He was so smart, so tidy, enjoyed life of what he could. Joseph Merrick a true gentlemen a man that was very loving. His heart is what we loved his soul you saw it through his eyes. I can understand haveing the medical field having his body. Joseph would of wanted that he would want to help in anyway he could. He would want medical science to find out what happened to cause his bones and body to become this way to help others.A kind soul.
diane189444 11 months ago
He didn't look like a elephant. Because he doesn't have a elephant trunk of his nose. And the tail of the elephant. The friendly Sir Joseph Merrick was look like of his skin are inform a brain coral reefs in his back, head are inform of a rocks, and his mouth are form a shape of a mussel shell. And his skin of his foot are form of a oyster shell.
42whatelse 1 year ago
Treves was such an amazing human being, and so was Merrick for clinging to whatever little fabric of life he had left.
David Lynch's movie is pretty damn good too, and seems pretty accurate according to the wiki.
staphinfection 1 year ago
@staphinfection The film was mostly inaccurate -Mr Merrick was never treated cruelly while he worked the fairs in England.He was respected &made freinds, &saved money.Neither was he at the hospital. Most painful is the slander put upon his mother,who in fact loved him very much, and died when he was about 11, the worst thing to happen to him.The film was based on Treves memoirs, which were inaccurate & full of ''artistic license'',as well the ''deliberate mistake'' of calling him John.
MrsJosephMerrick 1 year ago
I recently saw a musical version of the Elephant Man called Face to Face. I don't know much about the Elephant Man, and I didn't think the musical did him much justice, It seemed to say he had more of a simple mind. They went to the theatre and he believed that the characters were real and would cheer them on as they fought an ogre. I had heard he was rather intelligent. Is this the truth?
AnotherIncipient 1 year ago
@AnotherIncipient He WAS intelligent,he spoke about subjects which surprised his fellow wotrkers,&he loved to talk about those things he enjoyed,such as books.It is correct though about the panto he saw.He was absolutely drawn into it and spoke about it weeks after.He had a very creative &vivid imagination, pretending(for eg) to himself when he was alone, how it might be for him to act the hero of his novels,and ''act out'' the words he would have said to a woman who would have loved him...
MrsJosephMerrick 1 year ago
@AnotherIncipient ...In that musical &that Pomerance play, the way he talks annoys me, as it depicts him as being almost ''imbecilic ''-I admire Hurts portrayal in the film because the way he talks shows clearly it was only a physical problem(for him to talk clearly).
In my humble opinion, Joseph was an ill &naive man, &may have unconsciously or not, used his imagination to help him cope with the trauma of knowing how he looked..
MrsJosephMerrick 1 year ago
What a beautiful man he truly was.
travelogue200 1 year ago 5
@travelogue200 your only saying that i bet inside your saying"i would not touch him"
DuncanzeDwarf 1 year ago
@DuncanzeDwarf Well, you'd be placing a losing bet then! Why would I not touch him? Of course I would touch him. I would hold his hand, I would hug him. What is your problem? Why project the way you think you onto me?
travelogue200 1 year ago 2
what's the name of the entire production?
christinah3000 1 year ago
well somehow the guy a celebrity people still talking of him after 120 years after his death
maybe i,m not as bad looking as him but people wont talk of me 2 months after i,m gone lol..
joe744 1 year ago
Joseph Merrick had Proteus syndrome, not nf although proteus syndrome is like nf it is ussually far more debilitating and disfiguring
browneyes04047 1 year ago
Is this John Hurt narrating?
MrHansBeckert 1 year ago
I wonder what he looked like as a baby?
silvermystic2001 1 year ago
@silvermystic2001 Joseph was born a perfect baby. The first signs of his illness started when he was about 2 when a bump appeared on his lower lip, which increased in size until it caused the upper lip to be pushed outwards, and lumps on the left side of his body.
MrsJosephMerrick 1 year ago
@silvermystic2001 he looked perfectly normal as a baby...the groths started when he was 2
yomik98 1 year ago
what is the name of the song playing @ about 5:00 min?
nik78757 1 year ago
@nik78757 It is the aria "Ich habe Genung" from the cantata BWV 35, by Johann Sebastian Bach.
Flixypoo 1 year ago
Joseph Merrick was a great man. I would have loved to meet him.
IVH93 1 year ago
If he was to be alive in today's day & age, could anything have been done for him now with all the advance's in medicare?
localibran 1 year ago
does anyone have the whole documentary?
octoman511 1 year ago
i know how he died he was sleeping then his pillows rold back and he crushed his brain poor man
947rich 1 year ago
@947rich No offence, but thats not correct. He died from asphyxiation - the weight of his head being too heavy for his neck to support it when he lay down to sleep ''just once as a normal person''.
Whether it was deliberate or an accident, we'll never know.The bedclothes were tidy when he was found, so it seemed that he passed away without distress...but it is unimagineably sad and upsetting that Joseph died like that, totally alone....
MrsJosephMerrick 1 year ago
@MrsJosephMerrick oh my mistake thanks for correcting me
947rich 1 year ago
@947rich Youre a nice person.Sorry, I hope I didnt upset you. x
MrsJosephMerrick 1 year ago
@MrsJosephMerrick no its fine
947rich 1 year ago
@MrsJosephMerrick While he may have had the most unlucky DNA lottery ticket in life, he scored an ace in passing in his sleep at his home. Who wouldn't choose that? That is the stated preference for most when the time comes. Also, he is not buried yet because it is still inconclusive as to what specifically afflicted him and there may be more that can be learned. Finally, his remains are not publicly available for viewing and access is restricted to research professionals only.
cheytacbanger 1 year ago
@cheytacbanger Yes, I think I agree with you about that. It could have been worse - terrible in fact.At least he passed away in a comfortable, clean and safe place, where he was given respect - so perhaps when the end came for him(accident or not) it was peaceful for him.And yes, youre right about his remains, and its right and proper theyre only viewed by professionals(even as photos are available ,but its not the same is it as people staring at the real thing as though for entertainment).
MrsJosephMerrick 1 year ago
thank you for sharing this portion of the documentary on youtube ...it is a small credit to an extraordinary life of a gentle man. I am grateful to have some information as to how Mr. Merrick managed his incredible life. That he lived as graciously as he did inspires me. ...thank you indeed
gaiagale 1 year ago
What of his mother? What deformity/handicap did she have? (if any)
Sirradal 1 year ago
@Sirradal Joseph Merrick's mother and father did not have any deformities, however she was crippled. (No one is sure if it was due to any disease or her long years of working as a housemaid, before she married Joseph's father) His younger brother William Arthur had no deformities although his younger sister Marion Eliza was later proven to have suffered from a disease called myelitis, which is an inflammation of the spinal cord.
EmilyGreene1984 1 year ago
I came back here to voice an opinion,I hope you dont mind.When I think of what was done to Joseph after he died to preserve his skeleton makes me distressed and sickens me.I know it was done for medical reasons etc, and he himself guessed what might happen to him...But, I think its about time his remains were buried with dignity.I would be the first person to lay flowers on his grave.I feel really deeply about it. Thanks.
MrsJosephMerrick 1 year ago
@MrsJosephMerrick I agree with you. They should really bury him by now. I am not that kind of "all for the sience"-person, they should bury him and then let him rest in peace. He deserves that.
IVH93 1 year ago
@IVH93 Thankyou. After all, these days it would be quite resonable to keep a little sample for research, I wouldnt object to that, and an exact replica of his skeleton could be made.And then Joseph could be given a proper and respectful funeral that was never given him in life(they did have a memorial service I believe). The thing is, I get really emotional about it. To know that skeleton is really him just gets to me, its so little, fragile and sad. It just makes me cry.
MrsJosephMerrick 1 year ago
@MrsJosephMerrick I know, it upsets me too. And why haven't they picked your idea (which also is mine, and probably many others) and used it ? I think it's all for entertainment. So people can come and see his real scelleton in real life. And that's the saddest thing. All for money, you know.
IVH93 1 year ago
@IVH93 Youre sweet. I wanted to tell you at once because you sounded upset that his skeleton is only for researchers and student doctors to look at, it is NOT on public display, neither are the plaster casts of his limbs and face. The public can instead view his hat and veil, his only surviving letter (to the kind lady who first shook his hand),and the photo of him wearing his best clothes in the Royal London Hospital Museum, which does NOT charge an entry fee.I hope that makes you feel better.
MrsJosephMerrick 1 year ago
@MrsJosephMerrick OK, thanks for the options to make that clear! And thank you again:) Well, I still think it's unfair that they have to have it though. They should put that case to rest.
IVH93 1 year ago
Tis true my form is something odd,
But blaming me is blaming God.
Could I create myself anew,
I would not fail in pleasing you.
If I could reach from pole to pole,
Or grasp the ocean with a span,
I would be measured by the soul,
The mind's the standard of the man
kellyfortune 1 year ago 2
elefantiasis is a disease caused by a parasitic worm called Wuchereria Brancofti. If you get infected, the worm will live in your limphaitc system, obstructing the passage of lymph. This will cause the swell of the lower dorso.
Marric condition, on the other hand, caused his bone structure to be deformed.
The hipothesis is that he probably had protheus syndrome combined with neurofibromatosis.
miume 1 year ago
Elephantiasis!
E07WORLD 1 year ago
sorry I did not read it right!
(IT WAS JUST SOMETHING I FOUND ON WIKI).....
E07WORLD 1 year ago
very sad =[ but im so glad that he died happy and at least had friends and didnt die in that freak show
wendielovezjorge4 1 year ago 8
To think of how Joseph suffered is deeply upsetting. To see his poor skeleton in this film makes me cry right now. Its so little and fragile, and to know it was him is just too much.There arent the words to describe my feelings. How terrible it must have been for him as a child, and no one ever seems to think of that...Its just unbearable.
He was a lovely,brave ,wonderful and intelligent man , and I wish I could tell him so.All my admiration and respect for him. My heart goes out to you Joseph.
MrsJosephMerrick 1 year ago 15
Thank you for those words... I totally agree with you, you really a kind woman
DecepTurkon 1 year ago 2
Your comment was a shock to me and I am humbled. I really dont feel I deserve your words . I'm not just saying this . You made me cry.
MrsJosephMerrick 1 year ago
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What a fucking monster, why would you want to meet him he did nothing besides being born in a disfigured form
Isus1 2 years ago
your comment doesn't even deserve a response, in fact it should be removed. personally, i think you are just a dumb ass who is trying to get a reaction. and if not and you really believe he was a monster then you are a good example of why there are so many problems in this world, idiots like you create them
RyZombie619 2 years ago 6
@Isus1 Ur fucking cruel...if you were him you wouldnt be saying that..he suffered and if ur saying bad things about him, why fuckin watch?
yomik98 1 year ago
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he's dead 49ers whatever get over it no-one know's how he felt coz no-one was alive wen he was x
fairman93 4 years ago
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you gotta feel for the guy. I thought micheal jackson owns the skeleton...
BrickTamlund 4 years ago
a deepely human and humbling story, thanks for posting
PicturelyYours 4 years ago 153
@PicturelyYours Beautifully said
Trund27 4 months ago
I watched the movie last night the hospital guard was a awful person along with his owner wipping him on his back!
RIP Joseph
gratash 4 years ago 83
That film made me cry ....
jaketassie 4 years ago 59
Merrick was quite intelligent.
desotowright 4 years ago 63
some say because of this mans body shape he was a monster some say he wasnt human some said a deformity
he was none of these things in my opinion he was a normal person on the inside but as to some people he was a monster on the outside to me he looked like a misguided angel
zaccythekid 4 years ago 57
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what...this ruins it, the rumour i heared was that enelephant trampled his mum when she was pregnant
rhysninetyeightynine 4 years ago
i think that joseph was handicaped only
phisically , but he was one of the greatest english men of all times and he is an extraordinary example of what a man can be.....for me he deserves to become sir joseph merrick
bullterrier1972 4 years ago 131
@bullterrier1972 That has a nice sound to it doesn't it? The man was a true hero and was everything positive that you could ever ask for in a human being. He should be knighted.
Baltimora1957 9 months ago
does he qualify for his courage and dignity to become "sir" Joseph merrick?
bullterrier1972 4 years ago 3
How did Joseph die?
What happened to him?
Some people said he only lived up to 28 years.
ClayMastah344 4 years ago
He was supposed to sleep sitting up (like on a chair) when he tried sleeping like a normal person, he died in his sleep. I forgot what it did to his head.
femmefatale1990 4 years ago
oh.
If he couldnt sleep like people reguraly do, how did he sleep?
ClayMastah344 4 years ago
he slept sitting up, with his knees up and his head resting on his knees
LoDoll 4 years ago
every think that he was a freak well he was not my grand dad used to work wher he lived and 1 day he went 2 meet him he told me that he was 1 of the nicest person he had ever met it doesn't meatter what is on the out side it is about the in side that counts
tezalalala 4 years ago 15
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n that wld make u about 100...
rhysninetyeightynine 4 years ago
dude i wanna meet your grandad and talk about this wonderful man(joseph)....
varunash10 2 years ago 3
I have NF1 and so does my daughter. Doesn't make us freaks. It's the commonest genetic disorder and affects 1 in 2,500 people.
Glasgowf34 4 years ago 5
Fittingly and beautifully narrated by John Hurt, my hero and the best actor on the face of the freaking planet.
Anticyclonic 4 years ago
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Im gay, and black, so I know how joseph merrick felt
WeNeedaLittleSass 4 years ago
ha, ha, ha....so...so.......not true. I don't think anyone in this world can know how he felt.
Dumbledore303 4 years ago 5
haha, oh wow.
feloniousbutterfly 4 years ago
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Merrick was white, and didn't like getting his ass hammered while polishing knobs. Yup, you're the expert.
WipeoutBurn 4 years ago
Don't act the victim. You have no idea how Merrick felt.
49ersTH14 4 years ago 72
touching...
pandascarpo 4 years ago 2
I have Proteus Syndrome ... I am not an animal I am a human being !!!
AlEsIsMaNsOn 4 years ago 3
no u dont
gibsonguitarist56 4 years ago
what is proteus syndrome ??
razmus88 4 years ago
Many pathologies working together...Nuerofibromitosis, for one at least....
joeyvader 4 years ago
awesome documentry, i always thought they should do a remake of david lynch's movie, but stick to the basic facts more. that's john hurt doing the voice over for this(played josehp in the original movie)!
SR893 4 years ago 3
first of all, the movie you think about is from the 80s, so i dont think its neccesery to do a remake :P, and second, the origínal movie is from the 40s i think
razmus88 4 years ago
How can one not love true beauty?
MadCapAithne 4 years ago 2
Emily,
Joseph was an amazing man, his education and articulation incredible for the average man in Victorian England, yet alone someone who had been dealt a life card such as his....He was a man who can still teach us ALL a lesson in tolerance and humanaity....
So why are you obsessed with why he apparently "smelled horrible"?! (Your words)!
Joseph, RIP.
feckyouejeets 4 years ago 7
I know he was, I never refuted that. Ever since I saw the movie and the documentaries on Joseph, I've been very interested in his life-story. And I agree on that Joseph's life is a lesson to us all.
EmilyGreene1984 4 years ago
I merely was curious as to what could have caused that particular detail of his deformity and wondered if it was something to due with the disease itself or something else entirely.
EmilyGreene1984 4 years ago
i totaly agree with you
bullterrier1972 4 years ago
Hm. There is a LOT more to be said about him and his life. Too short =/
PringlesandSoda 4 years ago
If that was the truth, that's awful. :( As if he didn't have enough on his plate already.
EmilyGreene1984 4 years ago
What I was wondering exactly what caused the smell? Was it the flesh somehow infected by prior ill-health and poverty? Dirt? Sweat trapped within the folds? But anyway, that's good that they DID manage to cut the smell down. Poor Joseph. :(
EmilyGreene1984 4 years ago 2
One thing I never really understood about one of Joseph's problems was that, even after he lived in the hospital (and of course they would have insisted or helped Joseph take baths for both well-being and health), the growths on the back of his head and back smelled horrible. I know I'm not a doctor or nurse (although when I don't sing or practice, I do read medical books), but perhaps there was some dirt amid those growths they couldn't clean out?
EmilyGreene1984 4 years ago
Probably more like bacteria, rather than dirt, were trapped in the folds of the growths.
red88m 4 years ago
@red88m it could also be that the skin there within the folds were decomposing that has been known to happen however i still am just filled with humility and sympathy for joseph how even when he got worse and worse he stayed humble and even built a model chapel dispite his deformities
fallenangel2100 1 year ago
Es increible lo que debio de sufrir esta persona.
patryuska 4 years ago
it was such a brutal world then,im surprized they didnt lynch him or give a pistol to put to his head.truly sad what he had to go thrue.
cockmunkey 4 years ago 2
That is true. I think Joseph was an incredible man and we all could learn a thing or two from him. I also believe that dispite his illness he was lucky. It could have been much worse for him. I am happy to know that he died in peace and comfort.
TheBean 4 years ago
People are frightned about what they don't understand. I wish Joseph was still alive.
AwesomeBombVideos 4 years ago
If he was still alive he would be very old.
moatguy 4 years ago