Description

Portrait of John Goldsworthy Shorter.

John Goldsworthy Shorter (1805-1857) was a prominent figure in the town of Hastings. He practised law for over 29 years from the house at 86 High Street and became Mayor of Hastings in 1832. Following an accident in 1851, Shorter was left paralysed from the waist down. He continued practising law, and with the support of his assistant and the addition of a wooden ramp to the Town Hall, Shorter continued with his many responsibilities.Over the next six years, however, Shorter fought with depression which led him to commit suicide on 19 August 1857. Although legally prohibited from being buried, Shorter received the ‘full respect of the inhabitants of the town’ and was buried in a ceremony attended by the Mayor.

- Jack Guy, Curating for Change Fellow, Hastings Museum and Art Gallery

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Community curation: Although his portrait is prominent, John Goldsworthy Shorter’s story was hidden in the store, only being partially documented. The museum catalogue had his portrait and spoke about his successes, influence and sad death but made no mention that he acquired a disability and was a wheelchair user. I chose to write about Shorter because I wanted to truthfully tell his story to the best of my ability and highlight that disability history is not always in the background but often staring right back at you. I also chose to write about his life because it speaks of a difficulty that is silent, depression. Although we'll never know exactly what led to John's suicide it is likely that the ableist views of disabled people being unintelligent, useless, and lesser played a part.