Order of the Golden Age
The Order of the Golden Age was an international animal rights society with a religious and theosophical emphasis which existed between 1896 and 1959.
The height of their influence within the historical 'Food Reform' movement occurred in Britain during the first two decades of the 20th century where their journal The Herald of the Golden Age was published until 1918. The OGA organised successful concerts at the Royal Albert Hall after establishing their International Headquarters in London's Knightsbridge during the late 1900s.[1] The society even claimed to have converted Pope Pius X to the vegetarian diet during 1907.[2] In 1938, the Order decamped to South Africa upon the death of their official Founder and President, Sidney Hartnoll Beard, to become forgotten about by the vegetarian movement until the 21st century.
A commemorative website was created in 2006 [1] and the OGA received their first mention in a modern published history of the Vegetarian movement a year later.[3] A large collection of volumes of The Herald of the Golden Age was digitised by the 'Internet Archive' in 2008. [2]
Notes
Further reading John M. Gilheany (2010) Familiar Strangers: The Church and the Vegetarian Movement in Britain (1809-2009), Ascendant Press. ISBN 978-0-9552945-1-8