Museum of
Talking Boards
Gallery of Talking Boards
Planchettes
Museum of
Talking Boards
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| This is a particularly fine example of a pretty maple automatic writer circa 1875 by Selchow and Righter. The instructions state that Planchette the Mystic of Mystics is the "scientific planchette from the original pattern, first made in 1860." Although the phantasms on the front of the box are obviously not of this world, there is no mention of spiritual communion of any kind. |
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| The Mysterious Planchette from British Manufacture, an English import, did double duty as a writing planchette and as a message indicator for the imaginatively named Physio-Psychophone. In reality, the Physio-Psychophone was nothing more than a piece of wax paper with numbers, letters and fortune cookie aphorisms like: "Try to improve the present, then the future will be brighter." |
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Kirby and Company made this mahogany Kirby's Planchette in the 1860's during the planchette craze of that era. The instructions are conveniently glued to the bottom of the board and state: "For some persons, Planchette moves in a few moments, and for others from ten to fifteen minutes is needed to charge the board." |
| Charles Kennard's first planchette was this paddle shaped four-legged monster. It measured nearly eight inches in length and had legs two and one-half inches long. The directions on the bottom ask you to "place the board upon the knees of two persons, lady and gentleman preferred, with the small table upon the board. Place the fingers lightly but firmly, without pressure, upon the table so as to allow it to move easily and freely." |
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Smaller than the earlier Kennard model and heart-shaped like its writing cousins, William Fuld's first planchette was still jumbo sized. Three legs supported this design. Notice also the slight difference in the Ouija logo and the absence of the Kennard identifiers: the two "arrowheads" on either side of the Ouija name. |
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| Beginning around 1915, William Fuld planchettes sported a fancy new circular window to improve the viewing of the letters. In the 1920's patent dates signaled other design changes like the metal ring surrounding the viewing window. Many manufacturers of talking boards sold less expensive boards in addition to their premium models. William Fuld was no exception. His Mystifying Oracle was a Ouija board in all respects except for the name and the price. In other words, it was the same only different. |
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| Haskelite's standard planchette was the Mystic Hand with its withered witch finger descending from the clouds. The Egyptian Mystic Board fared better treatment with the stylishly decorated Mystic Prophet. The message indicator for the Rajah Far East Talking Board from Gift Craft let you know exactly where to look to find your answers. |