Forget Annabelle: Have You Heard Of This 117-Year-Old Haunted Toy Known As Robert The Doll, Whose Owner Had An Unhealthy Relationship With Him?
Everyone knows about Annabelle, the haunted Raggedy Ann doll that has terrified the public for decades. But have you ever heard of the lesser-known Robert the Doll?
The plush toy is dressed as an unsuspecting little sailor boy but is still undeniably creepy. Robert’s face barely resembles that of a human– with a nubby nose, black and beady eyes, and little nicks all over that resemble scars. He also appears to smirk in a sinister way while clutching his own weird-looking plush dog toy.
Aside from just appearing freaky, though, Robert the Doll is said to be seriously haunted and has actually been credited with causing various tragic events– ranging from job losses and divorces to even broken bones and car accidents.
The haunted plush toy is now one hundred and seventeen years old and has been housed in Keywest, Florida, at the Fort East Martello Museum since 1994.
Robert is stored within a new display case– equipped with UV-filtering glass and humidity control– that was reportedly gifted to the museum by a fan of the doll. But apparently, the luxurious case still does not stop Robert from engaging in acts of evil.
The doll was formerly owned by Robert Eugene Otto, an artist from a prominent Florida family. Otto received the toy as a birthday gift from his grandfather, who reportedly bought it while traveling to Germany. And from Otto’s childhood into adulthood, he and Robert remained strangely close.
“What people really remember is what they would probably term as an unhealthy relationship with the doll. Otto brought it everywhere; he talked about it in the first person as if he weren’t a doll. He was Robert, as in he is a live entity,” explained Cori Convertito, curator of the Fort East Martello Museum.
Apparently, Otto’s bizarre relationship with the doll began right after he was gifted it. As a young boy, he began to blame random events and accidents on Robert.
Of course, this was not completely unusual for a young child to do, though, so most adults in Otto’s life wrote it off as imaginative behavior. But, as Otto grew older, Robert the Doll raised more concerns.
LoloStock – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purpose only, not the actual person
By the time Otto moved out of his childhood home and began living in his own, known as “The Artist House,” Robert was always positioned right in front of the upstairs window.
And neighbors and schoolchildren alike claimed that the doll would vanish and reappear– making Otto’s home the most avoided property on the block.
Then, after Otto eventually died in 1974, a woman named Myrtle Reuter purchased The Artist House– and with it came Robert the Doll.
Over the years, Myrtle’s house guests swore they often heard footsteps scurrying in the attic and children giggling.
Some even claimed that Robert’s facial expression would transform in an instant if the doll ever “heard” someone speaking badly about Otto.
Myrtle, too, claimed that Robert had a life of his own. He reportedly moved about the house on his own, whenever he pleased, for the twenty years that she was the doll’s owner. And eventually, she decided to say goodbye to the antics and donate Robert to the museum.
Locking Robert away inside the glass case at the museum did little to banish him from the public eye, though.
Instead, he has only grown in popularity across the United States. Visitors now race to the museum just to catch a glimpse of the supposedly haunted doll, and Robert has become a famous character in popular media.
In fact, the doll has appeared on television shows, inspired horror movies, and even has his own social media accounts, website, and Wikipedia page.
Horror enthusiasts obsessed with Robert can also purchase Robert the Doll replicas and merchandise.
Plus, those who are daring enough can even volunteer to spend an evening locked in the museum with Robert.
Perhaps the most interesting part about Robert the Doll, though, is how he commands his fans. The toy receives between one to three letters every single day addressed to him– in which people actually apologize.
Apparently, many attribute misfortunes to the doll and write in hopes of apologizing for failing to respect him. Additionally, some even ask Robert for advice or to curse people who have wronged them in the past.
Still, as the museum’s curator, Cori is the sole person who has the most contact with Robert. Once a year, she takes the doll out of his case to administer a sort of “check-up.”
And when asked if she truly thinks Robert the Doll is haunted, she explained how they have a purely working relationship.
“I don’t know. I really don’t. I have never had a bad experience with him. I’ve never felt uncomfortable,” Cori revealed.
“It’s always been a very basic relationship, and I have a job to do, and I go and do it. And whether there’s something to it or not, he just allows me to get on with my job.”
So, it appears that the jury is still out on whether or not Robert the Doll is truly malevolent or just a seriously unsettling toy. But if you really want to find out, perhaps you should visit the Fort East Martello Museum to see for yourself.
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