Episode 8: The Infamous Story of Robert the Doll

Mar 13

Would you take a picture of Robert the Doll?

Episode Transcripts

Humor me, for a moment, and picture your favorite childhood toy. Maybe it was a blanket that your parents gave you on the day you were born. Or perhaps it was a doll that your grandfather gifted you for your 4th birthday.

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If you were anything like me, you carried this plaything with you everywhere you went. It was your companion, comfort object, and playmate all rolled into one. And as such, there was rarely a moment that the two of you were apart—other than for a dreaded few hours on laundry day.

Now these transition objects, as they are called, are quite normal, of course. In fact, from a psychological perspective, they act as a support system and ultimately allow us to transition from being with our parents day in and day out. Simply put, having an attachment to a favorite toy is more or less a part of growing up.

But even still, somewhere along the way, we forgot about our favorite toys. We grew out of them and turned our attention to more adult interests. And eventually, these items faded into a distant but fond memory from our childhood.

Or at least they are supposed to. But as we are about to see, these toys don’t always let go of us as easily as we do them.

I’m Courtney Hayes and you’re listening to haunts. Stay tuned…

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The City of Key West, Florida is no stranger to ghost stories. And I guess there really is no wonder why. With the isle’s rich, while sometimes dark history, that endured everything from piracy, to civil war and yellow fever, well at some point ghostly tales about the island were bound to take shape.

Take Fort Zachary Taylor, for instance, which of course is named after the 12th president of the United States. The fort and surrounding property is actually famed as the country’s southern most national park. And as I’m sure you already guessed, the area is also said to be incredibly haunted.

Apparently throughout the time that it was in active use, Fort Zachary Taylor was somewhat of a breeding ground for yellow fever. In fact, each unit stationed at the stronghold supposedly battled with the virus, and before long the fort’s mortuary was entirely full. Oh, and if the rumors are true, some of these sickly souls may still wander the halls of this old military fort.

Considering the locations grim history, it’s no secret why the area is considered to be one of the most haunted in all of the Florida Keys. Though, Fort Zachary Taylor is a lesser known haunt in comparison to some of the islands other ghostly legends—such as the world renowned story of Robert the Doll.

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From the outside looking in, Robert Eugene Otto seemed like an ordinary little boy. One who, at least for the first four years of his childhood, led a rather comfortable and normal life.

It was October 25th, 1900, when Baby Robert was born into the prominent Otto family of the Florida Keys. Now with Robert being the youngest of four children, his parents, Thomas and Minnie, eventually hired in nanny to aid in caring for this fast-growing family.

By most accounts, during the early years of Robert’s life, this hired caregiver blended well into the Otto Family. However, there are some variations to the tale that claim this may have not been entirely the case.

According to several sources, the children’s Nanny was of Haitian descent. And while this detail really shouldn’t come into play, or even matter in the grand scheme of things, it was for this reason that the Otto’s eventually got the impression that their Nanny was practicing black magic around the children.

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Now whether this claim was true, or if the accusation was based on a preconceived stereotype, still remains to be seen. But either way, the Otto’s eventually fired the woman after several years of otherwise loyal service. And even though the news was likely a sickening blow, the nanny handled the situation with little to no argument. Although, she didn’t leave the family without one final gesture.

So the story goes, in the days leading up to the nanny’s departure, she gave young Robert a life-size doll as a parting gift. Right from the start, Robert took quite the liking to the doll—even going as far as to name it after himself. And though, it was a bit… odd that Robert gave the doll his namesake, the bond they shared seemed relatively innocent, at least at first. But over the course of the next century, this seemingly simple toy became known as the most haunted doll in the world.

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Now before we dig any deeper, I should first bring the dolls physical appearance to your attention. As of October 2022, this infamous artifact is estimated to be approximately 118 years old. And to put it bluntly, Robert the Doll’s age shows.

Its face and body are worn thin, and the fabric holding the artifact together has faded over the years. Not to mention, the dolls overall demeanor is eerie, to say the least.

For starters, Robert is a custom made life-sized doll. Clad in an old-fashioned sailor’s uniform, it is said that the toy was actually made in the likeness of young Robert Otto. And while this fact alone is unsettling, you should know, that isn’t even the half of it. Because, allegedly the doll was stuffed with human hair… presumably that belonging to none other than Robert Otto himself.

According to this theory, the boy’s aforementioned nanny had collected the hair from the Otto’s home before her last day of employment. Then she incorporated the pieces into the toy’s stuffing before gifting it back to the child, or so the rumor suggests. Although, there is another variation to the tale that, at least in my opinion, holds a bit more substance… and a lot less hair.

According to the vast majority of my sources, this doll was actually manufactured by the Steiff Company of Germany—meaning that the toy was likely not hand made by the child’s nanny. In fact, the nanny may not have even played roll in this tale at all. As it turns out, the Doll may have actually been a 4th birthday gift from Robert’s grandfather who had purchased the item on a recent trip to Germany; and, it was he who commissioned the doll to be made in Roberts image.

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Now for those of us who have a clown phobia, it might be wise to skip ahead a few seconds, because, apparently during the dolls earlier years, its features also resembled that of a jester. And while that may seem innocent on the surface, imagine having a life-size doll that looks like your very own clown-themed doppelgänger—surely you can see why that image would be frightening from the perspective of a four-year-old.

But even still, Robert adored his companion. So much so that he even decided to start going by the name “Gene,” as in his middle name, so that the doll could have the name “Robert” for itself. And with that, the boys adoration evolved into a rather curious obsession with a seemingly normal doll—one, as it turns out, that had a mind of its own.

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It goes without saying that there are some conflicting perspectives when it comes Robert the Doll’s origin story. But there is one detail that remains true in each variation of the tale—don’t under any circumstances get on Roberts bad side. Because, apparently the doll has the capacity to cause misfortune to those who may have wronged him. Over the years, Robert has been blamed for everything from divorce, to job loss, and even property damage. But back in 1904, this paranormal blame game began with a bit more subtly.

When Gene was a boy, not long after he received his beloved doll, he began getting into trouble. Even though he had been an otherwise mild mannered child, it was around this time that Minnie and Thomas noticed their youngest son was constantly finding ways to push boundaries. However, when confronted about his actions, Gene would insist that Robert was to blame.

And while they likely dismissed it as perfectly normal childhood behavior, it wasn’t long before Mr. and Mrs. Otto noticed strange happenings associated with the doll.

For instance, on one evening in particular, Minnie stirred to the sounds of her youngest son screaming for help. Now in a panic, she climbs out of bed, and races up to Gene’s bedroom, only to discover that the door had been locked from the inside. It took a few excruciatingly long minutes, but Minnie was finally able to pry open the door; and, to her horror, she finds Gene lying in a heap on the floor, crying out for her to help. Further, Gene’s bedroom furniture had been over turned and strewn about the room; and, there surveying the scene, sat Robert at the foot of the bed.

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And then, of course, there was the fact that Gene had a tendency of talking to Robert when they were alone in his room—as if the doll was actually a real life boy. And if Thomas and Minnie didn’t know any better, it almost sounded as if there were two voices emanating from behind the closed door.

Now as an aside, I think we can all identify with this. I mean who of us here didn’t talk to our toys during our early childhood? But that’s the thing, this continued as Gene got older—even manifesting later on in his adulthood, well after he should have grown out of the habit.

And yes, in case you were wondering this behavior did affect his relationships, both platonically and romantically. Now for some context when Gene transitioned into adulthood, he became quite the prominent artist. So eventually, the key west home he and his wife shared sort of became a tourist attraction call the artist house. And it was in the attic of this domicile that Gene kept his childhood playmate.

Now like I said, the residence was a bit of a tourist attraction and for better or for worse, those visiting the spot could actually see into the attic window, where Robert putting on his own show of sorts. In the end there were countless reports of people claiming to see the doll move on its own up there, which of course caused even more tourists to flood to the residence.

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Not to mention Gene’s wife, Annette, wasn’t exactly fond of their unorthodox housemate. For some background, the couple had originally met when Gene studying art abroad in Paris. So you can imagine poor Annette’s surprise when they moved back to key west after they were married, and she was finally introduced to Robert.

Now from what I could tell, Annette was not too concerned that Gene had held onto a childhood keepsake from. Because again, it’s perfectly normal to keep some belongings from our youth. Instead, Annette couldn’t get past the toys menacing physique.

Simply put, Robert the Doll gave her the creeps. Which is exactly why she banished the artifact to the attic of their home at 534 Eaton Street. Although this act did backfire. Because instead of boxing him up and storing him away to be all but forgotten, Gene began to frequently visit Robert—eventually spending more time in the attic than downstairs with his wife.

And to make matters worse, on the occasions when Robert was left alone, Annette noticed the unmistakable sound of footsteps and giggling coming from the attic. As it turned out, Robert was not so keen on his new living situation. And poor Annette had trouble coping.

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It was 1974 when Robert Gene Otto passed away after months of declining health. Then only two years later, Annette followed suit. Only her passing was a bit more mysterious in nature. So presumably, an autopsy was performed. And as for her cause of death? Insanity.

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When it comes to Robert the Doll, I will be the first to admit that the legend feels a bit blown out of proportion. I mean, as I have mentioned on several occasions, it’s perfectly normal for a child to have a favorite toy that they sort of personify and cling to. So is it possible that Gene and Roberts.. relationship has simply been taken out of context?

Maybe so. But before you answer that question, you should know that Gene Otto wasn’t the only child in Robert the Doll’s life. After Gene’s passing, the Artist’s house was sold to a family with a ten year old daughter. Now as I’m sure you already assumed, the girl found Robert up in the attic and almost immediately they were fast friends.

That is until it was time for bed. On that first evening, the girl brought her new found doll to her bedroom, where she had a startling experience—one that will likely sounds familiar. Apparently at some point in the night she awoke to the doll moving about her room before threatening her physical safety. Of course her parents came running to her aid and she too blamed the commotion on Robert.

It wasn’t long after that Robert the Doll was removed from the home and donated to the East Martello Museumwhere he still remains today. And of course, activity of a paranormal nature is frequently sited at the museum.

According to museum staff, Robert is known to move about his exhibit at night—long after the museum has closed for the evening. Now keep in mind, this doll is locked inside a glass display case. One, mind you, that can only be opened by staff members. So at first, it was thought that the supposed activity was actually a prank made by the museums closer. Which is exactly why they started scheduling two closers to ensure accountability and deter that sort of behavior moving forward.

Only the problem didn’t stop. Night after night, week after week. The closing staff members would go about their work as normal—making extra sure that Robert was sitting upright in his case. Then upon opening the museum the following morning, staff members would find Robert the Doll sitting in a different position than he had been the night before.

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And then of course there’s the curse. As I said earlier, you don’t want to get onto Robert’s bad side, or else you may be in for some rather dire consequences. Specifically, Robert doesn’t like to be photographed—at least not without expressed permission.

Now Robert the Doll is one of the most popular exhibits at the East Martello Museum and flash photography of the artifact is permitted. But I will warn you, do so at your own risk. Because you never know what mood you might catch the doll in.

So the legend goes, you must ask Robert the Doll if he is comfortable with you taking his photograph. At which point he will either grant you permission or decline the request. Although you likely won’t know his answer until after the photo is already taken. And at that point, it’s too late—your fate has already been sealed.

In the event that you catch Robert in the right mood, and he grants you permission to take his photo, you likely won’t feel like you’ve had a paranormal encounter at all. You will return to your normal life and go back to you regular day to day routine—as if nothing ever even happened.

But what happens when you take a photograph when Robert the doll has declined your request? Well let’s just say that you should prepared to experience extreme bad luck.

Some claims seem to be relatively tame in the grand scheme of things. For instance, one of the most common reports is that of lost luggage, where vacationers will get separated from their bags en route home from key west after taking a photograph of a certain doll. Other common claims include instances of prolonged or repeated mechanical issues. Car trouble, for instance, will often plague Roberts guests—only stopping when the victims write to Robert with a sincere apology for their actions.

And then, of course, there are the more aggressive claims. Take the story of Cindy Lyons for example, who wrote an apology letter to Robert after her visit in 2004. During Cindy’s trip, she and her family were evacuated from the island when hurricane charley made landfall. She was then forced to sit in miles of heavy evacuation traffic all while suffering from a severe toothache. And when poor Cindy finally made it home, her house was struck by lightning twice.

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Believe it or not, Cindy is not alone in her experience with Robert the Doll. In fact, the museum receives hundreds if not thousands of apology letters addressed to Robert each year—many of which go on to explain in excruciating detail just how effected they were by Robert. Which had made me wonder, maybe there is more to Robert the Doll than I had originally given him credit for.

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When considering the legend at face value, it may seem relatively easy to evade the curse of Robert the doll. I mean, you’ll be fine. Just don’t take a picture right? Well as it turns out, that may not be entirely the case.

You see, whatever is haunting Robert the Doll is an entity that demands respect. Meaning that anyone who visits Robert at the east Martello museum is at risk of getting cursed. Which is exactly why museum staff has a list of rules that each guest must follow. And as a parting word, I would like to share those rules with you now.

Rule number 1: always introduce yourself to Robert. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Robert the Doll doesn’t take kindly to being ignored so you won’t be able to get away with peering at him from a far.

Rule number 2: take a picture if you must, because you may just catch him move or smirk at you on camera. But be sure to ask Robert for permission and pray that he grants it.

And last but not least, rule number 3: do not, under any circumstances, leave without saying goodbye.

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Credits