Episode 105: Robert the Doll
A harmless gift, a simple doll in a boy’s sailor suit. But for one man, this doll was more than a plaything, it was a companion, a life long friend and a force in his life. Is this creation, made of fabric and wool, nothing more than a misunderstood toy? Or has he earned his reputation through decades of chaos and destruction? This week’s episode is Robert the Doll.
SOURCES
Robert the Doll: Key West's Haunted Doll by David Sloan: https://amzn.to/3o5Ce6f
The Official Robert the Doll website: http://robertthedoll.org/
The history of Robert and Gene Otto from the official Robert the Doll website: http://robertthedoll.org/a-boy-his-doll/
The Story Behind the World’s Most Terrifying Haunted Doll, Atlas Obscura, https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-story-behind-the-worlds-most-haunted-doll
I Visited a Notoriously Haunted Doll, and Bad Luck Followed Me Everywhere, Pop Sugar: https://www.popsugar.com/smart-living/What-Is-Robert-Doll-Curse-46495802
ROBERT THE DOLL’S KILLER KEY LIME PIE, Keys Weekly: https://keysweekly.com/42/robert-the-dolls-killer-key-lime-pie/
Robert "The Haunted Doll" Rules After Dark at Ft. East Martello Museum Key West, South Florida PBS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XFWJBiHc7Y
Robert the Doll on All That’s Interesting: https://allthatsinteresting.com/robert-the-doll
The History of Teddy Bears from the Steiff Company: https://www.steiffusa.com/teddy-bears/
Robert the Doll, “Robert is one-of-a-kind, handmade doll created around the turn of the 20th century. Standing 40 inches tall and stuffed with wood wool known as excelsior, he is dressed in a sailor suit and once bore painted features not unlike those of a jester.” Key West Art and Historical Society: https://www.kwahs.org/exhibitions/robert-the-doll
ROBERT THE DOLL - THE STORY OF EUGENE OTTO AND HIS ENCHANTED DOLL, Haunted Rooms (UK): https://www.hauntedrooms.co.uk/robert-doll-story-eugene-otto-enchanted-doll
Martello Gallery page on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martello_Gallery-Key_West_Art_and_Historical_Museum
Robert the Doll wants respect, or else, Florida Weekly: https://keywest.floridaweekly.com/articles/robert-the-doll-wants-respect-or-else/
The Curse of Robert the Doll, Burials and Beyond: https://burialsandbeyond.com/2019/09/27/the-curse-of-robert-the-doll/
Robert the Doll, Ghosts and Gravestones: https://www.ghostsandgravestones.com/key-west/robert-the-doll
Robert the Doll, The Artist’s House Key West: http://www.artisthousekeywest.com/about/robert-the-doll/
The Curse of Robert the Doll, Workforce Software: https://www.workforcesoftware.com/blog/the-curse-of-robert-the-doll/
Robert the Doll, Ripley’s Believe It or Not: https://www.ripleys.com/weird-news/robert-the-doll/
Robert the Doll will haunt your waking life, History 101: https://www.history101.com/robert-the-doll-will-haunt-your-waking-life/
Creepy Life-Sized Doll People Call ‘Robert’ Might Be The Most Haunted Toy In History, Boredom Therapy: https://boredomtherapy.com/creepy-history-of-robert-the-doll/
The Haunted Palace - Stories on Eugene Otto: https://hauntedpalaceblog.wordpress.com/tag/eugene-otto/
