Planchette Collection

Using Planchette
A girl, blindfolded, uses the planchette with a pencil fixed in it, hoping to receive by automatic writing a message from the spirits in the beyond

American Planchette
An American planchette

Planchette or Ouija board, 1885. Method of using the Planchette for spirit writing during a seance. From The Scientific American (New York, 1885). Wood engraving

Woman from Caux wearing the traditional costume and riding side-saddle a la planchette.. Handcolored fashion plate illustration from Louis-Marie Lantes Costumes des femmes du Pays de Caux, 1827/1885

Couple using a Telesphere
A couple using a Telesphere, a form of planchette or ouija board. Date: early 20th century

Planchette or Ouija board, c1880. Method of using the Planchette for spirit writing during a seance. From The Practical Dictionary of Mechanics, editor Edward H Knight (New York and London, c1880)

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Discover the intriguing history of the Planchette, a popular tool for spirit communication in the late 1800s and beyond. This American invention, as seen in a 1937 Hamleys Toy Shop catalogue, was used in conjunction with a Ouija board for mediumship sessions. The Planchette, with its smooth gliding motion, allowed users to contact the spirit world and receive messages from the other side. The woman from Caux, wearing her traditional costume, demonstrates the use of a Planchette during a seance in the early 1900s. The method involved gently placing the fingers on the Planchette and allowing it to move across the board, spelling out messages from the spirits. Another variation, the Telesphere, also used a Planchette for communication, as shown in an 1885 illustration. Mediums and those seeking paranormal experiences embraced the Planchette as a means to connect with the spiritual realm and explore the mysteries of the afterlife.