The Murder Post: The Legend of Robert the Doll
Horror movies are the main reason of the creepy/haunted reputation of dolls, puppets, and toys have. But not all of them are made up stories, some are based on real paranormal cases like the Annabelle doll by the Warrens and Robert the Doll.
Robert the Doll
Robert the doll is an allegedly haunted doll that was once owned by Robert Eugene Otto, a painter and author from Key West, Florida. It’s exhibited at the East Martello Museum in Key West, Florida.
He was manufactured by the Steiff Company and bough by Otto’s grandfather as a birthday gift on a trip to Germany in 1904. While Otto was a art student in New York and Paris the doll remained stored on the family house. While he was in Paris Robert got married with Annette Parker in 1930 and then returned to his hometown were they lived until Robert’s death in 1974, Annette died two years later. The doll was donated to the museum in 1994 where it became a popular attraction.
The Legend
The legend says that the doll has the ability to move and change his facial expression on his own, also making sounds. A version of it claims that a girl of Bahamian descent gave Robert the doll as a gift. Other version claims that the doll was able to move voodoo figures and that it disappeared when Otto died. Local folklore says that the doll was the responsible of misfortunes like car accidents, divorce, broken bones and job loss and if you visit the museum and disrespect the doll you will experience it.
On popular culture
The doll was exhibited at TapsCON in Clearwater, Florida in May 2008. This marked the first time that the doll was moved from Key West. He was featured on the program Haunted Museum in April 2016.
The legend inspired the horror franchise Robert that goes around a haunted doll. To this day five movies has been made.
