The Elephant Man and Other Reminiscences

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Sir Frederick Treves, 1st Baronet GCVO CH CB FRCS KStJ (15 February 1853 - 7 December 1923) was a prominent British surgeon, and an expert in anatomy. Treves was renowned for his surgical treatment of appendicitis, and is credited with saving the life of King Edward VII in 1902. He is also widely known for his friendship with Joseph Merrick, dubbed the Elephant Man for his severe deformities.

Treves is one of the main characters in The Elephant Man, Bernard Pomerance’s 1977 play about Joseph Merrick’s life, as well as David Lynch’s 1980 film, in which he was portrayed by Anthony Hopkins. In that film, the English actor Frederick Treves, Sir Frederick’s great-nephew, plays an alderman. Working at the London Hospital and coming into contact with criminal cases, he is also depicted by Paul Ready in the BBC historical crime drama Ripper Street, set in the East End in the 1890s.

A fictional version of The Tale of a Field Hospital and Treves are featured in an episode of horror fiction podcast The Magnus Archives by Jonathon Sims.

In real life, Sir Frederick Treves appeared as himself amongst other society Britons helping out with the war effort in D. W. Griffith’s lost silent film The Great Love (1918). (wikipedia.org)