Ouija Celebrates its 125th Anniversary in Baltimore: OuijaCon 2015 Wrap-Up

BY LARISSA MRYKALO

This past weekend in Baltimore, Maryland, an eclectic mix of individuals descended upon the Baltimore Harbor Hotel to celebrate the 125th anniversary of Ouija. Whether you're a skeptic, a believer, a collector, or undecided, Charm City was the place to be and I was lucky enough to be invited. Thanks to the efforts of Robert Murch and the Talking Board Historical Society (TBHS) along with paranormal researcher and author,  Jeff Belanger, their inaugural event, OuijaCon, was quite the success.

We all know that films like The Exorcist have given Ouija a bad reputation but delving into the rich history of the boards was the goal here. To quote from the TBHS page, "The Talking Board Historical Society began in 2008 as a loose affiliation of talking board collectors and enthusiasts, brought together by talking board historian Robert Murch to bring recognition to the forgotten founders and history of the enigmatic Ouija." This wasn't an event to scare, obviously, it was an event to educate, create discussion and, of course, celebrate. 

The event opened on the evening of April 23 with a meet and greet in the Talking Board Museum and  family members of prominent Ouija founders, including William Fuld were present. Just to be clear and honest, this was quite the education for me. I do own a beautiful Fuld board and when I was a kid, I did dabble with a board my brother and I got from the local toy store but other than that, I'm a Ouija novice. The variety of boards/spirit communication devices in this museum blew my mind. I see these pieces as not only bits of amazing paranormal history but as beautiful pieces of art.

The Ouija Files: Talking Board Historical Society Goes Public

BY BRANDON HODGE

Fans of Ouija now have a new avenue to celebrate their passion for the mysterious talking boards. This week, the Talking Board Historical Society debuted a new Facebook page that exploded in popularity overnight. Though formally established last year, the society’s roots trace back to 2008 as a loose affiliation of talking board collectors and enthusiasts brought together by talking board historian Robert Murch. The group is now raising its public profile in advance of 2015’s OuijaCon, set to take place in Baltimore on April 23-25.

The group’s most famous effort is erecting the talking board-inspired headstone at the unmarked grave of Ouija patentee Elijah Bond in Baltimore’s historic Green Mount Cemetery, which has since become the historic cemetery’s most-requested gravesite. In addition, they successfully petitioned the city of Baltimore to recognize William Fuld’s Harford Avenue Ouija factory, built in 1919, as a historical landmark, which became the first public landmark in Maryland acknowledging the city’s Ouija history. Next, the group hopes to honor the contributions of the medium Helen Peters Nosworthy to Ouija and American history, and is raising funds to place a marker at her grave commemorating her for giving the board its iconic name.