Robert the Doll
A doll in a Key West museum is said to move, change expression and bring bad luck to anyone who photographs it without asking.
What was reported
Robert is a straw-stuffed doll in a sailor suit that belonged to the Key West artist Robert Eugene Otto, given to him as a child around 1904. Stories say the doll moved around the house, giggled and was blamed for mischief, and that it frightened later owners.
It's now shown at the Fort East Martello Museum, where visitors are told to ask its permission before taking a photo. The walls nearby are covered in letters apologising for rudeness and asking it to lift their bad luck.
Explanations offered
There's no evidence the doll does anything, and many of the stories date from after Otto's death in 1974. Robert is a much-loved local legend and tourist attraction, and is often said to have helped inspire the Chucky films.
- When
- Given to its owner around 1904
- Where
- Fort East Martello Museum, Key West, Florida, USA
- Witnesses
- Its owners, and museum visitors
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.