MUSEUM BLOG
The Llandovery Castle Tragedy – and the 14 Nurses Who Shaped History
The story of the Llandovery Castle is one of reprieve turned tragedy – the deadliest Canadian naval disaster of World War I. However, its legacy and those of the 14 nursing sisters on board have now been largely forgotten in the pages of history. The implication of this disaster compels a resurfacing of the story and a commemoration of those whose lives were lost.
“Something Permanent for the Country”: The Sir Oliver Mowat Memorial Tuberculosis Sanatorium
An often overlooked part of Kingston’s rich medical history, the Sir Oliver Mowat Memorial Tuberculosis Sanatorium, or simply the Mowat Sanatorium, enjoyed an important, if short-lived, role in the fight against tuberculosis in Canada.
Voluntary Veil: The Canadian Voluntary Aid Detachment in the First World War
Before the mid 19th century, women had a discreet but ever-present role on the battlefield, mostly as camp followers. When women such as Florence Nightingale started to demonstrate the value of military nurses, armies began to slowly, but surely assign them to their medical services.
A Hair-Razing History of the Beard: Facial Hair and Men’s Health from the Crimean War to the First World War
The period following the Crimean War and until the end of the First World War marks an interesting time for men’s fashion and health. During the Victorian period, beards and other facial hair styles enjoyed resurgence in popularity which had not been seen since the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries.[1] While the facial hair trend waned by the end of the nineteenth century,[2] enthusiasm for debating the cleanliness and overall health of bearded and non-bearded men remained strong. With increased attention to the face, and more specifically the hair on it, doctors, nurses, soldiers and the general public engaged in spirited discussions of men’s health.
Mental Health: Tracing the History of Stigma
What seems to be the next epidemic though is dangerously invisible in its symptoms, but just as potent in its hold; it is one of the leading causes of death among Canadian youth from ages 15-24, and directly affects 20% of all Canadians.