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In the footsteps of Maude Abbott

Meet Maude Elizabeth Seymour Abbott (1869-1940), one of Canada’s first female physicians. Walk in her footsteps through her home village, St. Andrews (now Saint-André-d’Argenteuil), Quebec and accompany her along her unique journey.

Photograph of an elderly Maude Abbott, black and white. She is seen in profile, looking concentrated, reading a book at a wooden desk and seated on a carved wooden chair. She is wearing dark clothes and a pearl necklace, and her hair is tied behind her head.

Maude Abbott at the end of the 1930’s

 

This exhibit pays tribute to an exceptional woman, a female doctor in a male-dominated world, an endearing woman who cared deeply about her family and her community. Through her commitment, Maude Abbott, known as the “beneficent tornado”, pushed the boundaries of medical knowledge and marked our history.

Colour photograph of a doctor’s bag and instruments. At the back there is a large rectangular black leather bag with a handle in the centre and clasps on both sides. The bag is slightly damaged at the corners. In front of the bag and to the left is a smaller case, also made of black leather. It is open, showing a beige interior. The case contains a large beige-grey cotton bandage. A blood pressure bulb and a gold-coloured sphygmomanometer lean against the case. To the right, there is an old syringe in a cardboard box and three needles can be seen to its left.

Medical kit used in Maude Abbott’s time

Oil landscape of the village of Saint-André-d’Argenteuil in summer; colour. The foreground shows deciduous and evergreen trees and green fields. Behind these, the village with its houses and white church is surrounded by two rivers on the left and right. A hill covered in green and ochre farmland rises behind the village. Indistinct blue hills can be seen in the distant background. The sky is cloudy, blue and white.

The village of St. Andrews, 19th century

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