Elijah Bond

Elijah Jefferson Bond (January 23, 1847 in Bel Air, Maryland - April 14, 1921 in Baltimore, Maryland) was an American lawyer and inventor.[1][2] He is most known for inventing the ouija board.

Inventions

Although he invented and patented items, including a steam boiler, he is best remembered for patenting what became known as the Ouija board. He filed for a United States patent on May 28, 1890. Charles W. Kennard and William H. A. Maupin were listed as assignees. The patent was granted on February 10, 1891.[3] Bond sold the US distribution rights for the Ouija board to the Kennard Novelty Company.[4]

By 1907 Bond had relocated to West Virginia where he established the Swastika Novelty Company. The company produced a knock-off of Bond's original Ouija board called the "Nirvana".[4]

Death

Bond died at age 74, and is buried in Baltimore, Maryland's Green Mount Cemetery, beneath a marker that resembles an Ouija board.[5]

  • Gravestone front detail
  • Gravestone rear detail
  • Gravestone rear three quarter

References
  1. "Elijah Bond's Official Biography". www.elijahbond.com. Retrieved August 11, 2019.
  2. "Elijah Bond's Official Biography". Retrieved 2008-01-04.
  3. Mitch Horowitz. "Ouija! How this American Anomaly Became More than Just Fun and Games". Esopus Fall 2006 Edition. Retrieved 2007-11-14.
  4. "Image of Nirvana board with description". Archived from the original on 2007-10-26. Retrieved 2007-11-14.
  5. "Elijah Bond's Ouija Board Grave". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved August 11, 2019.

Bibliography
  • Gruss, Edmund (1994), The Ouija Board: Horror of Reality, New York: P&R Publishing, pp. 13–15

Sources

Media related to Elijah Jefferson Bond at Wikimedia Commons


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