Robert the Doll is a reportedly haunted doll exhibited at the East Martello Museum in

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. He was once owned by painter, author, and Key West resident Robert Eugene Otto.

History

The doll originally belonged to Robert Eugene Otto, an artist described as "eccentric", who belonged to a prominent Key West family. The doll was reportedly manufactured by the Steiff Company of

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

, purchased by Otto's grandfather while on a trip to Germany in 1904, and given to young Otto as a birthday gift. The doll's sailor suit was likely an outfit that Otto wore as a child. The doll remained stored in the Otto family home at 534 Eaton Street in Key West while Otto studied art in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

and

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

. Otto married Annette Parker in Paris on May3, 1930. The couple returned to the Otto family home in Key West to live there until Otto died in 1974. His wife died two years later. After their deaths, the Eaton Street home containing the doll was sold to Myrtle Reuter, who owned it for 20 years, until the property was sold to the current owners, who operate it as a

guest house A guest house (or guesthouse, also rest house) is a kind of lodging. In some parts of the world (such as the Caribbean), a guest house is a type of inexpensive hotel-like lodging. In others, it is a private home that has been converted for the e ...

. In 1994, the doll was donated to the East Martello Museum in Key West, where it became a popular

tourist attraction A tourist attraction is a place of interest that tourists visit, typically for its inherent or exhibited natural or cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, offering leisure and amusement. Types Places of natural beaut ...

Legend

According to legend, the doll has

supernatural Supernatural phenomena or entities are those beyond the Scientific law, laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin 'above, beyond, outside of' + 'nature'. Although the corollary term "nature" has had multiple meanin ...

abilities that allow it to move, change its facial expressions, and make giggling sounds. Some versions of the legend claim that a young girl of " Bahamian descent" gave Otto the doll as a gift or as "retaliation for a wrongdoing". Other stories claim that the doll moved voodoo figurines around the room and was "aware of what went on around him". Other legends claim that the doll "vanished" after Otto's house changed ownership several times after his death, or that young Otto triggered the doll's supernatural powers by blaming his childhood mishaps on the doll. According to local folklore, the doll has caused "car accidents, broken bones, job loss, divorce and a cornucopia of other misfortunes", and museum visitors supposedly experience "post-visit misfortunes" for "failing to respect Robert".

In popular culture

* The doll was exhibited at TapsCON, a convention hosted by The Atlantic Paranormal Society in

Clearwater, Florida Clearwater is a city and the county seat of Pinellas County, Florida, United States, west of Tampa, Florida, Tampa and north of St. Petersburg, Florida, St. Petersburg. To the west of Clearwater lies the Gulf of Mexico and to the southeast lies T ...

, in May 2008, marking the first time it had left Key West in its then-104 years of existence. * In October 2015, the doll was taken to

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for a

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television program in Zak Bagans' ''Haunted Museum''. The episode originally aired on April2, 2016, as the first episode of '' Deadly Possessions'', and re-aired on August12, 2017, as the first episode of ''Ghost Adventures: Artifacts''. * A

horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit physical or psychological fear in its viewers. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with Transgressive art, transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements of the genre include Mo ...

franchise loosely based on the legend began with the film ''

Robert The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of ''Hrōþ, Hruod'' () "fame, glory, honour, prais ...

'', released in 2015. Four sequels followed: '' The Curse of Robert the Doll'' in 2016, '' The Toymaker'' in 2017, '' The Legend of Robert the Doll'' in 2018, and '' Robert Reborn'' in 2019. * The doll and a replica sold at the gift shop appeared in the second season of '' Ozzy & Jack's World Detour''. * The doll was featured in an episode of the podcast and TV series ''

Lore Lore may refer to: * Folklore, acquired knowledge or traditional beliefs * Oral lore or oral tradition, orally conveyed cultural knowledge and traditions Places * Loré, former French commune * Loré (East Timor), a city and subdistrict in La ...

''.

References

External links

* , hosted by the Key West Art and Historical Society
The Key West Art & Historical Society's dedicated page for Robert the Doll
{{Dolls 1904 introductions 1904 works 1900s toys American legends Florida folklore Tourist attractions in Key West, Florida Haunted dolls Supernatural legends American urban legends Creepypasta