19th and 20th-century English businessman and showman
For the politician, see Thomas 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". Among his later exhibits were a troupe of little people, a "Man in a Trance", "John Chambers, the armless Carpenter", and the "World's Ugliest Woman".
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. There, he became interested in freak shows which he attended in his spare time. After viewing an exhibition called "Electric Lady" next door to his place of work, he went into business with the exhibition's manager and began his career as a showman of human oddities. He quickly became successful, for his patter as much as his exhibits, and was called the 'Silver King' by the American showman P. T. Barnum.
In 1884, Norman took over the management of Joseph Merrick, otherwise known as the "Elephant Man", and exhibited him for a few weeks until police closed down the show. Merrick later went to live at the London Hospital under the care of Sir Frederick Treves. In his 1923 memoirs, Treves portrayed Norman as a cruel drunk who ruthlessly exploited his acts. Norman refuted this characterisation and said that he had provided Merrick (and his other "freaks") with a means of making money independently. Norman continued a successful career as a showman and later became an auctioneer of novelty shows and circuses.
Norman died in 1930 and was survived by his wife and 10 children, five of whom followed him into the entertainment business.
TomNorman, born Thomas Noakes (7 May 1860 – 24 August 1930), was an English businessman, showman and the last exhibitor of Joseph Merrick who was otherwise...
of what some sports stars make today. Barnum's English counterpart was TomNorman, a renowned Victorian showman, whose traveling exhibitions featured Eliza...
travelled to London to be exhibited in a penny gaff shop rented by showman TomNorman. The shop was visited by surgeon Frederick Treves, who invited Merrick...
fame. Tom Keating, Geraldine Norman and Frank Norman, The Fake's Progress: The Tom Keating Story, London: Hutchinson and Co., 1977. Geraldine Norman, The...
In 1981, Norman finished in 4th place on his debut at the Masters in Augusta, finishing just three strokes behind the winner Tom Watson. Norman had a victory...
Norman Fell (born Norman Noah Feld; March 24, 1924 – December 14, 1998) was an American actor of film and television, most famous for his role as landlord...
Brigadier-General NormanTom Nickalls (April 1864 – 26 September 1915) was a British Army officer. He was killed during the second day of the Battle of...
Norman Percevel Rockwell (February 3, 1894 – November 8, 1978) was an American painter and illustrator. His works have a broad popular appeal in the United...
Howard Norman Epstein (July 21, 1955 – February 23, 2003) was an American musician best known as a bassist with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Epstein...
Norman Gary Finkelstein (/ˈfɪŋkəlstiːn/ FING-kəl-steen; born December 8, 1953) is an American political scientist and activist. His primary fields of research...
gang. The film stars Jodie Comer, Austin Butler, Tom Hardy, Michael Shannon, Mike Faist, and Norman Reedus. The Bikeriders premiered at the 50th Telluride...
from 2000 to 2008. South Dakota Legislature - Tom Van Norman official SD House website Tom Van Norman at South Dakota Legislator Historical Listing Project...
Archived from the original on August 15, 2011. Finn, Julian K.; Tregenza, Tom; Norman, Mark D. (2009), "Defensive tool use in a coconut-carrying octopus",...
Norman. Dunphy interviewed a new witness, Tom Masterson, who admitted he was the student who had attacked Norman. Masterson also supported Norman's claim...
Hiberno-Normans, or Norman Irish (Irish: Normánach ; Old Irish: Gall, 'foreigners'), refer to Irish families descended from Norman settlers who arrived...
Norman Joel Greenbaum (born November 20, 1942) is an American singer-songwriter, known for his 1969–1970 hit song "Spirit in the Sky". The song is one...
several large Anglo-Saxon donors of the last decades before the Norman Conquest; the early Norman bishops made short work of their gifts, carrying them off...
Retrieved July 31, 2014. "Producers Guild of America Honors Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman with the Norman Lear Achievement Award". Producers Guild of America....
Norman Virgil Osborn is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he...
Malech Mailer (January 31, 1923 – November 10, 2007), known by his pen name Norman Kingsley Mailer, was an American novelist, journalist, playwright, and filmmaker...
The term Norman architecture is used to categorise styles of Romanesque architecture developed by the Normans in the various lands under their dominion...
Thomas Norman Kindness (August 26, 1929 – January 8, 2004) was an American politician who served six terms as a member of the United States House of Representatives...
Norman Ernest Borlaug (/ˈbɔːrlɔːɡ/; March 25, 1914 – September 12, 2009) was an American agronomist who led initiatives worldwide that contributed to the...
and classmate Norman Watson on drums. The Brilliant World of Tom Gates (2011) Tom Gates: Excellent Excuses (And Other Good Stuff) (2011) Tom Gates: Everything's...
versions of Frederic Raphael's The Glittering Prizes and Alan Ayckbourn's The Norman Conquests, Conti appeared in the "Princess and the Pea" episode of the family...
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