First commercial release of the Ouija board by Elijah Bond (1890–1891)

Elijah Bond, an American lawyer and inventor, patented the talking board later known as the Ouija. The name was chosen in Baltimore in 1890, and the patent was granted in February 1891. Bond sold distribution rights to the Kennard Novelty Company, establishing the commercial foundation for the board's early market presence.

Episodes

Background and detail

Background. Elijah Bond was a lawyer and inventor who is best remembered for patenting the talking board. The name "Ouija" was selected in Baltimore in 1890 by medium Helen Peters Nosworthy. Bond and Nosworthy traveled to Washington, D.C., where the patent was initially denied until the chief patent officer allegedly allowed the board to spell his name.

Patent Process. Bond filed for a United States patent on May 28, 1890. The patent, titled "Toy or game," was issued on February 10, 1891. Charles Kennard, founder of the Kennard Novelty Company, claimed to have invented the board with Bond, who patented it with help from his sister-in-law, Helen Peters Nosworthy.

Commercial Distribution. Bond sold the US distribution rights for the board to the Kennard Novelty Company. The building where Bond chose the name for the board still stands in downtown Baltimore. This commercial arrangement established the initial market presence for the talking board, distinct from its later spiritualist associations.

People involved

Sources

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