On July 17th and 18th of 2016 we traveled to Key West, Florida and Fort East Martello to pay our respects to the infamous Robert the Doll. Or, at the very least, those who dare to research or read about Robert the Doll online arent taking any chances. It was a very ordinary looking doll, made of cloth, straw, and wire. Miami Black leaders apologize to Gov. Then upon their return the following morning all the lights will be back on, with the doll in a different position than where he was left. Robert the Doll is apparently cursing people left and right, and a new Twitter hashtag has emerged in the chaos. There are many videos out there on YouTube, as well as, books, TV shows, etc. Metallic Sasquatch Leads to Flat Tire In Montana, Not Quite Ghosts: When Radio Waves Make the Walls Speak. At any rate, many people who feel cursed send letters of apology to the museum, which are affixed to that wall. Address: Fort East Martello Museum 3501 S Roosevelt Blvd, Key West, FL 33040. His skin is imperfect. NASA's Photos From Mars: Don't Tell Me the Red Planet Wasn't Once a Thriving World! If youd like to read more about Robert the Doll, you can of course check out my original post, or head over to his official Facebook page. His curse, at least the way Ive heard it, is a rather simple one: Before taking a picture of Robert the Doll, everyone must first ask permission. It all goes back to 2013, when I first posted about Robert the Doll. It's a wild tale. After all, the mysterious doesn't always have to be serious. Learn about one of Key West's most haunted homes. I was curious and interested in your history. The story dates back to the year 1906. If the government isnt helping and praying hasnt worked yet, whats the harm in apologizing to Robert just in case? Allegedly, this curse involves bad luck. Gene then started growing more and more afraid of the doll. His original owner, a boy named Robert Eugene Otto, used to blame his mischief on the doll until the evil forces inside the toy took hold and the . Once, a plumber who had been hired to make repairs around Ottos home claimed to hear childrens laughter, though no one was home at the time. Is a celebrity with his Facebook and Twitter accounts. Strange things started to happen in the residence. Would you be scared of it? As word of the curse spread, stories began popping up on the Internet of people being cursed merely for looking at Roberts picture remotely without asking permission. If his head tilts, permission is not granted. The doll's sailor suit was likely an outfit that Otto wore as a child. I was just learning about you. Also, the staff of the museum advice visitors to take his permission before clicking photos. It was, at first blush, unremarkable: a doll of wire, cloth and straw, with beige skin and human-like hair. People send him candy, money, and - occasionally - drugs, which, side note, you shouldn't do. With Quinn Aune, Laura Baggett, Jeff Belanger, Jenna Sue Berry. Meet Robert The Doll, The Haunted Toy Thats Been Terrorizing Florida For Over 115 Years. Check out the video and see for yourself! Pinned to a wall behind him is a series of letters, each containing an apology for crossing him in some way. Of course, the original curse has to do with taking a picture of the actual Robert without asking for permission first. Young Otto was so enamored with the doll that he named it after himself, clothed it in his very own clothes, and despite the toys awkwardly large size, carried it with him wherever he went. Or better yet, the story behind it. His curse, at least the way Ive heard it, is a simple one: Before taking a picture of Robert the Doll, everyone must first ask permission. You need to apologize for everything you didn't do, or at least Robert G. Lee does, and in this clip from his full Dry Bar Comedy special he is about to apol. His curse, after all, involves taking a photo, not looking at one. The Otto family was a very stern, conservative, and super-wealthy family, in fact, they were the most wealthy family in the areaatthat time. Behind him is an array of letters pinned to a wall, each containing an apology for having crossed him in one way or another. Often times the families would find Robert in a room or outside the front door. He eventually named the doll after him. 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The Ottos swore they could hear Robert giggling and walking around the house. But thats not all he receives. He was designed as a window display piece of clowns. @7Xbjd For more information about the Fort East Martello Museum or to purchase tickets, please visit their website. There are conflicting reports about whether her grandfather gave her the doll or if it was one of the familys maids who practiced voodoo in revenge for mistreatment by her staff. In 1906, young Robert Eugene Otto received a doll from his family's servant. Genes friends and family say he had an unhealthy relationship with his childhood partner and that after his death in 1974 his wife Anne placed Robert in a chest and kept him in the attic. In some ways, it is similar to the Curse of Uluru. Along with key review factors, this compensation may impact how and where products appear across the site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). He locked Robert a couple of times, just to find him reappearing on his rocking chair by the window in his room. In 2015 a horror movie franchise was launched based on Robert. Currently displayed at the Fort East Martello Museum in Key West, Florida, visitors are welcome to stop by and catch a glimpse of the infamous doll. They decided to lock Robert up in the attic where he stayed until Jean returned home as an adult. The doll was stored in the Otto family home at 534 Eaton Street in Key West while Otto studied art in New York and Paris. Locals swore that the doll would disappear and then reappear facing another direction, or that his gaze would follow them as they passed. The servant (a Bahamian woman) is alleged to have cursed the doll with black magic and handedthe doll to the boy as a parting gift when she left. mm by Linda Marie. Letters of apology arrive on a daily basis. Some versions of the foot claim that a little girl from a Bahamian desk gave the doll to Otto as a gift or as revenge for a wrongdoing. According to legend, Ottos parents would wake up in the middle of the night only to find their poor boy screaming and surrounded by overturned furniture. The neighbourhood children reported Robert mocking them from the window. But the doll held an ominous secret that would reveal itself in time. Like the letters sent to the museum, theyve left comments online containing their own apologies. Anyone who visits Robert has to make sure that he/she doesnt disrespect or insult him in any way. However, Robert has kept up with times and apparently, now extends his curse to anyone who sees any picture of him on social media. Other commenters would follow suit, some with a meager apology, others with explanations and pleas that the cursed doll not turn its evil eyes on them or their loved ones. Afterwards, his camera stopped working, and all of the photos hed taken in Key West disappeared. The most prevalent anecdote is that the doll was indeed a harmless gift from Otto's grandfather, but that it was hexed by a family servant after they were wrongfully fired. Lights flicker. The doll from the" Shop Robert the Doll Store Fort East Martello Museum, 3501 South Roosevelt Boulevard, Key West, Florida 33040 / Ph: 305-296-3913 / Email: robert@robertthedoll.org She felt the need to apologize to the doll for taking its picture without permission because her life had turned in to a living hell. RobertThe doll was created sometime around the late 1800s by a Haitian maid. They could also hear Jean talking to them in two different voices at the same time through the closed doors. According to Legged, the doll has supernatural abilities that allow it to move, change its facial expressions and make laughing sounds. No one believed the kid until the family, too, started experiencing unexplained events around the home. (Cayobo / Flickr). Almost immediately, however, museum employees reported their own inexplicable happenings with the doll. Robert. Robert's arrival at the museum must've been a turning point for him since he kicked it up a notch with his antics. We went parasailing the next day, HowardRK continued. Inside Robert the Doll Science tells us dolls are inanimate objects, but those who care for Robert the Doll and the thousands who visit him each year know better. At night, the family would be awakened by the shrieks of the girl who claimed that the doll tried to hurt her. The late night cleaning crew has been known to clean Robert's box, and turn off all the lights at the end of the night. Ron DeSantis after a member called Oh, and just one more thing: Im sorry, Robert. In 1994, she donated him to the Fort East Martello Museum. He started carrying around Robert everywhere he went, much to his wifes dismay. One couple even stated that they once found the doll sitting at the foot of their bed one night with a kitchen knife in his hand. But not everyone heeds the warning, and they sneak a picture of him anyway. Robert is not your average doll. In this section youll find anything strange and unexplained, itll leave you scratching your head! Or, at the very least, those who dare to search or read about Robert the Doll online are taking no chances. However, while the rules of Roberts curse are simple and based mostly on direct contact, in the past few years it seems to have spread onto the Internet. That's right: #SorryRobert. He referred to it merely as "Robert," as if he recognized it as a living being. And they have to ask nicely, too. If his head tilts, permission is not granted. 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