Robert the Doll
A 1904 straw-stuffed doll in a sailor suit that Key West residents have blamed for car accidents, broken marriages, and professional failures for over a century.
Robert Eugene Otto received the doll as a gift around 1904, when he was four years old. He named it Robert and kept it for the rest of his life. Neighbors reported seeing the doll move between windows when the house was empty. Otto's wife eventually banished it to the attic. After Otto died in 1974, subsequent owners of the house reported strange occurrences and eventually donated the doll to the Fort East Martello Museum, where it has been on display ever since.
The museum receives hundreds of letters per year from visitors who believe they offended Robert and are writing to apologize. The letters — many of them desperate — are displayed around the case. Reading them is its own kind of experience.
Robert sits in a glass case wearing his original sailor suit and holding a small stuffed lion. His face is worn and slightly asymmetrical. The museum asks visitors to ask Robert's permission before photographing him. Whether you find this charming or unsettling probably says something about you. The letters from people apologizing for bad photos are genuinely worth reading.
Located at the Fort East Martello Museum, 3501 S Roosevelt Blvd, Key West. Open daily. Admission charged. Robert is on the ground floor near the entrance. Ask permission before photographing — the museum staff will explain why with a straight face. The museum itself has a good collection of Key West folk art and history.