who invented the ouija board

The Ouija board, as a commercial “talking board” game, was first patented in 1890 by Baltimore attorney Elijah Bond , and developed and marketed through the Kennard Novelty Company led by Charles Kennard. Later, businessman William Fuld popularized and mass-produced the board from the 1890s to the 1920s, and his aggressive marketing caused many people to mistakenly credit him as the inventor.

Quick Scoop: Who Really Invented the Ouija Board?

• The modern Ouija board was patented in 1890 by Elijah Bond in the United States.

• Charles Kennard claimed he and Bond created the first commercial board and founded the Kennard Novelty Company to sell it.

• William Fuld later took over production, branded himself as the “inventor,” and became the key figure in making Ouija a household name, even though he did not originate it.

A Short Origin Story

In the late 19th century, spiritualism and séances were wildly popular in America, and “talking boards” started appearing as tools to supposedly communicate with spirits. Sensing a business opportunity, Elijah Bond secured a patent for a simple wooden board marked with letters, numbers, and “yes/no,” used with a pointer (planchette). Charles Kennard then organized investors and launched the Kennard Novelty Company to mass-produce and brand this device as the Ouija board.

A few years later, employee William Fuld took control of production, rebranded the narrative, and heavily advertised the board as if he had invented it himself. Over time, newspapers and later pop culture reinforced this myth, which is why many people still think Fuld was the original creator.

Why There’s Confusion About the “Inventor”

• Legal vs popular credit :
  • Legal/patent credit goes to Elijah Bond (and the early Kennard group).

* Popular/marketing credit often shifted to William Fuld because he stamped “inventor” and “original Ouija” on his boards.

• Earlier prototypes :
  • Similar “talking boards” were already in use in spiritualist circles before 1890, which makes the idea older than the Ouija brand itself.

• Company politics :
  • Kennard was pushed out of his own company by the early 1890s, and Fuld’s later success helped rewrite the story in the public mind.

Mini FAQ

So, if I have to name one person, who is it?
Historically, the safest single name for “who invented the Ouija board?” is Elijah Bond , because he holds the key 1890 patent associated with the commercial board.

Why do some sources say William Fuld?
Because his company’s marketing and later media coverage kept calling him the inventor, and many people never checked the earlier patent history.

Table: Key Figures Behind the Ouija Board

[3][5] [5][3] [3][5] [9][5][3] [9][3] [9][5][3] [1][5] [1][5] [7][5][1]

Person	Role	Timeframe	Why They Matter
Elijah Bond	Attorney and patentee of the Ouija board.	Patent filed 1890.	Holds the original commercial talking-board patent widely associated with the Ouija board’s invention.
Charles Kennard	Businessman who claimed to invent the board with Bond and founded the Kennard Novelty Company.	Company founded in 1890–1891.	Organized production and branding of the first Ouija boards sold to the public.
William Fuld	Manufacturer and marketer of Ouija boards.	Controlled production from early 1890s to 1920s.	Massively popularized the board and promoted himself as the “inventor,” shaping public perception.

**TL;DR:** The Ouija board as we know it was patented by **Elijah Bond** and commercialized by **Charles Kennard** , while **William Fuld** later turned it into a cultural phenomenon and was mistakenly credited as its inventor.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.