Travels and Identities: Elizabeth and Adam Shortt in Europe, 1911
About this ebook
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.
About the author
Peter E. Paul Dembski is an historian with B.A. and M.A. degrees from the University of Toronto and a Ph.D. from the University of Guelph. He has taught Canadian history at several universities, most recently the University of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier University. His articles have appeared in journals such as Ontario History and scholarly collections such as the Dictionary of Canadian Biography.
