Tom Norman

Tom Norman, born Thomas Noakes (7 May 1860 – 24 August 1930), was an English businessman, showman and the last exhibitor of Joseph Merrick who was otherwise known as the "Elephant Man".

Norman started his working life as a butcher in Sussex before moving to London at the age of 14 where he sought a career on the music hall stage.

After his unsuccessful venture in Berkshire, Norman returned to being a butcher, and, one day, viewed the "novelties" at a penny gaff next to his place of employment in Islington.

Norman was impressed with the exhibition, realised its lucrative potential, and left his job to enter into business with Mlle Electra's manager.

[5] When Mlle Electra was exhibited at Kingston Fair, Norman realised he would be better off working alone, and successfully staged his own "Electric Lady" in Hammersmith.

According to Joseph Merrick's biographers Michael Howell and Peter Ford, Norman may have changed his name to avoid shaming his family by his "distasteful" connections to circuses and fairgrounds.

[1][3] Other acts included fleas, fat ladies, giants, dwarves and retired white seamen, painted black and speaking in an invented language, billed "savage Zulus".

In 1884 he left the workhouse and put himself in the charge of the music hall proprietors Sam Torr and J. Ellis, and the travelling showman 'Little George' Hitchcock.

[9] They quickly realised that they would not be able to show Merrick for too long in one place, for fear of the novelty wearing off, and towards the end of 1884, Hitchcock contacted Norman, an acquaintance of his, and transferred management of the Elephant Man to him.

[13] According to Norman's autobiography, Merrick went to the hospital "two or three" times, but then refused to go any more, as the examinations made him feel "like an animal in a cattle market".

At this time, however, public opinion about freak shows was starting to change and the display of human novelties was beginning to be viewed as distasteful.

[16] Norman remained a travelling showman for another 10 years following his encounter with Joseph Merrick, and exhibited, among others, a troupe of midgets, a 'Man in a Trance', John Chambers the armless Carpenter and the 'World's Ugliest Woman'.

He became involved with the temperance movement and was the vice-president of the Van Dwellers Protection Association (which later became the Showmen's Guild of Great Britain).

Ralph Van Norman (known professionally as Hal Denver) became a travelling Wild West performer, appearing throughout Europe and the United States.