Rupert H. Wheldon

Rupert H. Wheldon, born Rupert Henry Wheldon on July 3, 1883, in Philadelphia, is remembered as an early advocate of veganism as well as a photographer. Sources about him agree that he later lived mostly in England, and that he died on June 6, 1960.

He is best known for No Animal Food; and Nutrition and Diet; with Vegetable Recipes, a work available through Project Gutenberg and widely described as an early vegan cookbook. The book argues for a diet without animal products and combines practical recipes with a broader case for plant-based living.

Biographical details are limited, but available references note that he worked as a photographer in Petaluma, California, during part of his life. That mix of practical craft and food reform gives his writing an unusual place in the history of early vegan thought.