Travels and Identities: Elizabeth and Adam Shortt in Europe, 1911

by Peter E Paul Dembski (Editor)

Elizabeth Smith Shortt was one of the first three women to obtain a medical degree in Canada, and her husband, Adam Shortt, enjoyed a successful career as a professor of politics and economics at Queen’s University in Kingston. In 1908 Adam Shortt relocated his family to Ottawa to take up a commission to oversee civil service reform under Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier. There he convinced his superiors that an onsite investigation of four European countries would expedite his effort to improve Canada’s bureaucracy, and in June 1911 he and Elizabeth embarked on their trip. This book chronicles their Atlantic crossing and extended visit to England, as well as trips to Switzerland, Austria, Germany, and the Netherlands. The Shortts were generally pleased with England and its values, but Elizabeth was sharply critical of the behaviour of British nurses. Her diaries and letters, here reprinted, critiqued the lands and peoples she visited in Europe. Leading foreign feminists such as Lady Chichester and Mrs. Maud of the Mothers’ Union in England sought her advice, as did Alice Salomon in Germany, the corresponding secretary of the International Council of Women. The diaries and letters presented in this volume reveal the multifaceted nature of Adam and Elizabeth Shortt, from public figures to difficult employers to a couple who couldn’t help but live beyond their means. Peter E. Paul Dembski’s introduction paints a picture of a couple who lived as moderate liberals with occasional conservative or radical views, and who blended science and an adherence to Protestant Christianity into their thinking. Their travel experiences, during a period of building political upheaval, provide a valuable snapshot of pre–First World War European society and culture.

294 pages, Paperback

Published January 5, 2017

Reviews

[Chad Dembski · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gathering of journal entries and letters from feminist medical Doctor Elizabeth Shortt and her husband Adam. She was one of the first female medical doctors in Canada and this book focuses on a major European trip her and her husband took to examen political systems in various European capitals.
Full disclosure, this is my Father's book and he spent about 20 years bringing it from idea to final publication. So I obviously have a massive bias towards this material, but I did truly enjoy the introduction and conclusion. While most biography type books tend to praise the great virtues of their main people this book is more critical of the two main travellers. It showcases their constant elitism, from wanting to wine and dine with Canada and Britains elite to spending way beyond their means on a constant basis. They judge many Europeans quite harshly, especially gross is the constant body shaming of the Germans and Austrians. Still there is some care to understanding the need for social health care and the progression of the female voice in society. These contradictions are extremely well sewn together as to provide a realistic portrait not just a gush of accomplishments.
I'm sure for some this trip seems like minor Canadian history but I think it highlights a super interesting pre-WWI Canada attempting to become itself. While not quite a power couple, they both accomplish more than anyone probably had thought they would, both come from modest backgrounds and were not handed what they earned in life.