Robert the Doll

 By Jimir Johnson

Robert the doll is known as a famous haunted doll that was made 117 years ago . Robert was made in Germany by the Steiff Factory in 1904. The Steiff factory was known to make high end collection of bears. The doll was brought by Robert Otto grandfather from his trip overseas. His grandfather named the doll after him. Robert would give his new doll a sailor outfit. The sailor outfit would make Robert the doll appearance iconic because it was Robert’s child real outfit. Robert treated the doll like he was a living person. When Robert Otto would misbehave or something went missing he would blame the doll. Robert Otto would say “Robert did it” so much that it became the theme of the doll. The first  supernatural incident was in Robert Otto childhood. Robert Otto claimed to woken up by Robert The doll looking at him at the foot of the bed. Not long after he seen this unpleasant sight the house was woken by sounds of moving furniture. Robert’s mother rushed his room to find him under his blankets and everything around him in chaos. His mother asked him what happened Robert Otto responded with “Robert did it”. That would become ah habit of Robert Otto in his childhood, he would blame most of his wrong doings on the doll. Legend has it that Robert blaming his doll for everything made the doll behavior worsted and noticeable. Robert was said to move his doll to the upstairs because he was getting older and probably needed the space. Robert put the doll on a window seal and left it. Neborhood children was aware of the legend and would tell Robert would move in and out of the window seal. So one day Robert went upstairs to check up on his doll and found it in a rocking chair. Robert Otto just simply ignored it because it was his doll. Robert went to New York and Paris to continue his art education but the doll remained in Key West, Florida. When he returned he got married to his wife Anne but she didn’t like the doll in the house. The doll wasn’t moved out of the house but moved into the attic. Robert the doll probably happy with his new living quarter. Anne expressed that soon after they moved the doll she heard “footsteps and malicious giggling from the attic”. Robert Otto died in 1972 and his wife died in 1974, the was sold to Myrtle Reuter. Robert the doll was still in the attic in the house. Myrtle daughter discovered Robert and quickly feared him. She was convinced he wanted to hurt and haunt her. She even told her parents that Robert would be wandering around the room at night. In 1994 Robert was donated to East Martello Museum in Key West. This is now Robert’s home and now popular attraction .

Robert the Doll

Works cited: 

https://burialsandbeyond.com/2019/09/27/the-curse-of-robert-the-doll/

Links for Further Research:

Horror Obsessive https://horrorobsessive.com/2021/04/13/caution-mind-your-manners-when-
visiting-robert-the-doll/ Author Melissa Bastek explains how Robert the doll had strange
different effects on people. 

Medium https://medium.com/lessons-from-history/the-true-story-of-evil-doll-that-inspired-
chucky-haunted-key-west-for-100-years-be54e3624b5c Author Esh explains how Robert Otto
had a weird inseparable relation with Robert the Doll since his childhood.
 

Ripleys https://www.ripleys.com/weird-news/robert-the-doll/ Author Noelle Talmon
explains why Robert the doll was taken to the museum by Myrtle Reuter and how he
mysteriously started jamming electronic devices around him.