I have to credit paranormal comedian Mike Brody for digging this one up. The conference he was at last weekend sported an exhibit of Antique Ouija boards collected by Robert Murch.
Murch is probably the foremost collector of Ouija there is. He was inspired by the movie Witchboard back in the 1980s. He began his collecting with his first in 1993. Since then he’s been uncovering all sorts of unique versions to add to his collection. He consults with film makers concerning spirit boards. He also is responsible for retracing the origins of Ouija through the history of its inventor, William Fuld.
Murch has created http://www.williamfuld.comwhich is the most comprehensive collection of Fuld’s work, including not only Ouija boards, but other parlor games he manufactured and sold. This is the place you can find accurately researched facts about Ouija… the rumors and legends surrounding it have been off the deep end in the reality department. Murch sets us straight. His contact with Fuld’s descendants help clarify the origins of this infamous parlor game.
Talking boards, spirit boards, oracle boards, witch boards have been around in different incarnations since the mid-1800s. The first patent for such a device was filed in London England in 1854 by Adolphus Theodore Wagner for “PSYCHOGRAPH, OR APPARATUS FOR INDICATING PERSONS THOUGHTS BY THE AGENT OF NERVOUS ELECTRICITYâ€.  There was no mention of spirits being the communicators. It was believed the mind of the operator created the messages, subconsciously I suppose. The talking board showed up in America in 1890.
Ouija was a Kennard Novelty product. The patent was originally obtained by Elijah Bond in 1891. It was later assigned to Charles Kennard and William H. A. Maupin. It was Fuld that made it big once he took over the company. He was falsely credited at Ouija’s inventor; however, his marketing efforts cemented it in the world of spirit boards as number one.
You can learn the history of Fuld and his inventions at http://www.williamfuld.comAlso, check out Robert Murch at http://www.robertmurch.com/.
It’s interesting stuff!
Tj
