This is either fodder for a terrific SomethingAwful photoshop contest, or a really odd historical quirk.
Now, I realize that teetotaling vegetarians existed in the 1900s, but were they really called "straight-edgers" — a term which found popularity in the mid-1980s to describe fans of hardcore music who eschewed intoxicants and embraced hummus?
Sean Bonner forwards this link to what is purported to be a 1906 New York World graphic captioned, "Just a Few of the Regular Diners at a Broadway Physical Culture Restaurant," an illustration for "Eating Walnut Croquettes and Broiled Peanuts with the 'Straight Edgers' and Indulging in Date Butter and Nut Sandwiches at a Vegetarian Restaurant." This illo, further down the page, depicts "A Straight Edge Waiter."
Parody, or a genuine artifact of bizarre pop culture coincidence?
Sean says, " I'm still not sure I'm buying this, but it was sent to me from Glen E. Friedman, and it was sent to him by Ian himself. Could there have been straight edge in 1906?"
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Update: Well, bless my combat boots! Apparently, the term "straight edge" really does date back to the turn of the 20th century. BoingBoing readers wrote in today with related anecdotes — Ron Hogan, who is the editor of Beatrice.com, says: "About a year ago, I was at the New York Public Library and they had an exhibit of NYC restaurant menus and photos from the first half of the century. There I saw a menu for the Straight Edge Kitchen, located at 7th Ave and 11th St, offering health food lovers 'a plain homelike meal.' I wrote it all down in my moleskine because I, too, was surprised to see the term dated back that far. Here is the original exhibit URL, and some other info."
