Robert the Haunted Doll
In 1906, when painter Robert Eugene Otto was six years old, his family's Bahamian servant (some say slave) gave him a special present. It was a doll crafted in the boy's likeness, and she'd even given it the name Robert. Throughout Otto's childhood, he showed an unusual attachment to Robert the Doll. And whenever strange things happened around the house, Otto always claimed they were Robert's doing.
As an adult, Otto built a special room for Robert in the attic of his home, complete with scaled-down furniture and lowered ceilings. No one was allowed to visit the room. Yet according to Wikipedia, "children on their way home from school claim that they would see Robert move around in the upstairs windows even when no one was home."
But the fun didn't really begin until after Otto's death. His will required that Robert be left in peace, so when Otto's wife rented their old house, she allowed Robert to stay in the attic. Renters often claimed to hear footsteps and laughter coming from upstairs. Occasionally, they'd check on the doll, only to find that he'd changed positions.
A plumber who worked on the house's plumbing told this story:
"I was doing some work in the [attic]. . . . The doll looked pretty creepy sitting there on the little chair holding its stuffed animal, but I had work to do so I didn't think much about it at first. As my work continued I had to make a few trips to get some parts from the van. Each time I returned I could swear the doll had moved a little bit. Like I said, I had work to do so I ignored it as much as I could, but when I was just about finished with the job and started descending the stairs, I heard a little kid giggling behind me. When I turned around the doll was on the opposite side of the room. The first thing I did was look to see where the kid was, but no one was there. I wasn't really frightened, but it was weird so I just continued down stairs and left. Some of my tools are probably still up there."
Today, Robert is in the East Martello Museum in Key West, Florida. Museum employees claim that he's still up to his old tricks. Check out the video below and see what you think!
posted by Kirsten Miller at 10:20 AM
45 Comments:
Creepy! i'm a believer in ghosts but idk about this!
Really weird! then again this is ananka's diary what was i expecting
Ahhh, demonic dolls... I hate porcelain dolls, because they just creep me out. I can't walk past the one inmy room without feeling like its following me with its eyes.
that is such a freaky little doll. When I went to key west I saw him. i thought oh yah haunted doll, I had this really cool new digital camera with really good focus. I focused it really well on the doll and took the picture, it was super blurry, i tried again and again but the pictures just wouldn't come out, It was freaky!!!
its like a non-killer chuckie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As long as his tricks don't kill I'm fine with him.
Well that didn't make my fear of dolls worse at all. >_<
Freaky little thing....
O.O That is freaky! THis sort of reminds me of Chucky, even though I have never seen that movie!
OMG! thsi just took my fear of dolls to the next level! Robert is one creppy toy...
kikistrike96: lolz, i totally agree
eeeek!
Very, very scary! Giggling children is about the scariest sound there is!
I know I'm going to have nightmares for weeks now. o__o
In another documentary about him, the narrator says that Robert's hair is becoming white, and that his facial expression changes in front of visitors' eyes!
You know what would be really creepy? If the spirit of Robert Eugene Otto got trapped in the doll after he died, and that's why its doing all this stuff. Its trying to signal for help, but everyone's to afraid of the doll to help him...
Poor Robert.
That is eerie. Especially since my two best friends both have second homes. One has a house in the keys. and the other has a cabin with a SUPER freaky porcelain doll in it.
Trust me it is one scary doll, because I used to collect dolls.
Creepy. Eerie. Mildly disturbing, and all that jazz.
At first i thought it would be about a happy little doll...
Boy was i wrong! The doll is creepy.
Ahh creepy...but I believe it. I'd like to go and like visit him and take some of my own pictures. Maybe not alone though....lol
I have lots of dolls (too many!)and none of them look creepy. Well, maybe the one with a lost arm. :(
Sound's like the cliche of an evil doll.
But, I am in my room alone! And it's night! It's windy outside! There are noises! *whimpers*
I like this story.
I believe that the doll is haunted. But not by a ghost...by something else...
What's on his face? It looks like he either had a serious pimple problem or was hit by flying glass. I'd like to see him, though. And some of the music they used was soooo creepy-cool.
......If they cant take pictures how are they abel to take the picture thats on the post?
Sorry, I now realize my last comment may have been a little insensitive, if that's the word I want. Hope I haven't upset anybody in any way.
Hazel: I agree.
I think this is so true! it's creepy though.
BTW, has anyone heard the Molly Doll story? It is SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO HORRIFYING!!! Way worse than this, it is really scary. If someone starts telling the story, I would advise you not to listen. (crying in the background, interupted by screaming and manical laughter)
liltomboyblue: oh great, you've really piqued my curiosity. I don't know if I should be scared to google it....
Jin ai: funny, but I still wouldn't reccomend it if you or anyone you know owns dolls. It was very freaky.... of course it was told at a sleepover.... at the house of someone who collects procelan (spellin?) dolls....
I have two porceilen (ditto on spelling) dolls, but I think that one was wooden... COOL though! I love ghost stories, haunted places stuff like that..... whyyyyy do my doors ooooooppppen randomly??? type stuff. actually, that is a question I would like answered.
Falcon: A lot of times, if the doors are made of wood, when the temperture (spelling) changes, the wood will contract or expand, making it not fit in the doorway. This will often cause it to open and close. Especially in old houses.
This doll is more then just CREEPY!!!!! I don't think I ever want to end up at Key West... I do believe in things like this.
The doll is just abnormal!
Dolls freak me out. Mostly just ventriliquest(sp?) and porcelain dolls. and this doll is freaky! oh I am also freaked out by clowns. *shudder*
~Kad
liltomboyblue11;):I am now very curious about the Molly doll story. You should send the story to Ananka and have her post it.
~Kad
That's creepy, really creepy.
I love ghost stories, but they always get me really scared. XD
that is so freaky i heard the story and i couldnt sleep at all...........i also heard that if u dont introduce urself to him hell haunt until u do.......... FREAKY!!!!!!
AWESOME!!! i was in the keys acouple weeks ago, i shoulda gone. but, alas, i did not know yet of robert. there are a couple of mocking ghost children in my house. i cant see them, but they are there. trust me, they are constantley (?) pulling pranks on me. but, my bedroom door used to open randomly, but then (get this, turns out they're nice) i asked them to open the door when they come in my room, leave it open, then shut it when they leave, AND IT WORKED!!! now i will be laying in bed reading, and my door will open, then 5 or 10 or 20 minutes later it will close! thank you, ghost children!!! although the spare room in our basement freaks me out. (i call it the mushroom room cause there used to be mushrooms, but i really think that there is a third (semi-evil) ghost child whos bedroom used to be there.) CREEPY!!!!
This is the creepiest thing I've ever seen =O
And yet I'm strangely attracted to that doll XD One day I hope to visit it... and take off his hat... and try to take a picture! *devil face*
I agree with Cassie! I wanna remove his hat and try to take a picture of him.
~Kad
i'll never look at my american girl doll the same way again
dolls are totally creepy. you never know when someone is watching you... the doll OR someone whomay or may not have put a camera in the dolls head...
i love dolls!infact, i hav a porclein doll right next to my bed and i dont get scared, da molly doll is part of the 9 orphan dolls
Ugh... Everytime I see Robert I get shivers... -.- *shivers*
O.O I WANT THAT DOLL!!!!! XD
i hate the littlecrepper just rip it apart until it is gone , nothing left of it
I "visited" Robert today after hearing his story on a ghost walk tour. I asked his permission to take his picture (feeling foolish) and got 3 very good pics. I then thanked him. LOL! My camera is just fine.
OMG thi sis so creepy i was trying to read all the comments and my computer kept on shutting down but it eventually turned on and stayed on. WANDER IF HE IS HAUNTING ME?!
Lolz.... true tht
This doll was inspiration for the creator of chucky
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